426 Zoology. 



Meek (A. S.). 



See Gerrard. 

 Mr. Albert Meek has been one of the band of naturalists who have 

 collected for the Hon. Walter Rothschild in Papuasia and North 

 Australia. In company with his brother-in-law Mr. Eickhorn, he has 

 carried out some surprisingly successful expeditions, which are recorded in 

 the following papers in the " Novitates Zoologicse " by the Hon. Walter 

 Rothschild and Dr. Hartert : vol. ii., 1895, p. 61 (Fergusson Island) ; 

 iii., 1896, pp. 233-251 (Fergusson, Trobriand, Eguni, Woodlark Islands) ; 

 v., 1898, pp. 521-532 (Sudest Island) ; vi., 1899, pp. 76-84 (Rossel Island), 

 206-217 (St. Aignan Island), 423-428 (Cape York) ; viii., pp. 179-189 

 (Kulambangra, Florida Islands, Solomou Archipelago) ; pp. 373-382 

 (Guadalcanar) ; ix., pp. 581-594, pis. vii.-ix. (Isabel Island), xiii., pp. 244- 

 268 (Solomon Island). 



Meinertzhagen (Dan). 



77 skeletons and birds in spirits. Presented. [98. 5. 7, 1-77.] 

 Of all the young naturalists whom I have known, Dan Meinertzhagen 

 was certainly one of the most promising, and his early death was a real 

 misfortune for ornithological science. 1 have seen his MSS. written when 

 a boy at Harrow, and they not only show an extraordinary method of 

 observation, but are accompanied by drawings far above the usual school- 

 boy level. He was particularly interested in the Accipitres, of which he 

 kept a fine collection of living examples at his father's residence at Mottis- 

 font Abbey. He had also a very good collection of eggs, and had begun 

 to travel in pursuit of ornithological knowledge, making a successful 

 expedition into Lapland in company with Mr. R. P. Hornby. Had he 

 lived he would no doubt have risen to very high rank as a scientific 

 observer. "Bird Life in an Arctic Spring," London, 1899, 8vo (pp. 

 xxxiv., 150, pis. 27) gives his diary of his Lapland expedition, with an 

 interesting memoir of the author by his mother. 



Menzbier (Professor M.). 



168 birds from Turkestan, collected by the late Dr. Severtzow, and 

 purchased through Professor Menzbier [90. 3. 8, 1-168.] 



This collection added largely to our Palaearctic series. Chelidon 

 lagopus and Cyncliramus polaris were new to the Museum. 



529 specimens of Paridx. Purchased. [1901. 5. 4, 1-529.] 



This was the private collection of Professor Menzbier, who had 

 intended to write a monograph of the Paridx or family of Tits. 

 Finding tnat his duties at the University of Moscow had so much 

 increased that there was little hope of his being able to write his intended 

 monograph, he offered his collection to the Trustees of the British 

 Museum, who thus acquired a beautiful series of the Palsearctic species, 

 including four which were previously unrepresented in the National 

 Collection, with Remiza macronyx, Lophobasileus elegans, etc., and types 

 of Parus songarus, P. affinis, P. superciliosa and Acredula atronuchalis. 

 As the eighth volume of the " Catalogue of Birds," notoriously defective 

 and out of date, is about to be re-written, this collection of Paridx will 

 be found to be of immense service. 



Merlin (Consul C. W. L.). 



58 birds from Greece and Asia Minor. Presented. [43. 7. 8, 1-27 ; 

 45. 5. 28, 1-13 ; 65. 8. 18, 1-18.] 



Mr. Merlin was for many years H.B.M. Consul at Athens, and was a 



