OBITUARY. 



37 



in twenty- seven thick octavo volumes, took twenty-four years to finish, 

 having been only completed in 1895. Eleven different specialists took 

 part in this mighty undertaking ; Dr. Sharpe himself contributed no 

 fewer than eleven whole volumes and portions of three others, and 

 edited or assisted in the preparation of the remainder, a feat of which 

 he was justly proud. During these years he also found time to publish 

 a number of important works, such as his ' Monograph of the 

 Swallows ' (commenced with Mr. C. W. Wyatt), and to complete the 



'Birds of Asia,' 'Birds of New Guinea,' and 'Monograph of the 

 Humming-Birds, ' three great folio works by Gould, which had been 

 left unfinished at the time of his death. He also contributed numbers 

 of important memoirs and papers to various scientific periodicals, 

 more especially to the 'Ibis,' ' Proceedings ' of the Zoological Society, 

 and ' Journal ' of the Linnean Society. 



In 1884 Dr. Sbarpe was sent to India to superintend the package 



