XXII 



Obituary Notice of Fellow deceased. 



Frey Lepidoptera, the Carter Sponges, the Parker Foraminifera, the Hume 

 Heads and Horns of Large Game, the Anderson Egyptian Mammals, the 

 Pascoe Coleoptera, the Stainton Lepidoptera, the Lilford Birds of Europe, 

 E. Moore's Indian Moths, the Godman and Salvin Insects, Saville Kent 

 Corals, and many others. An idea of the vast increase during Dr. Gunther's 

 period of office may be gained by comparing the census of 1868, viz., 1,000,000, 

 with that in 1880, viz., 1,300,000, and in 1895, 2,245,000. Much of this 

 increase was due to the constant efforts of the Keeper and his friendship 

 with the leaders of expeditions, naval and military officers, as well as 

 with naturalists at home and abroad. 



In the arrangement of the collections increased progress was by-and-by 

 obtained by the employment of temporary workers distinguished for their 

 knowledge in certain departments, the Treasury being less reluctant to the 

 temporary employment of such specialists than to additions to the permanent 

 staff. Thus Messrs. Seebohm, P. L. Sclater, O. Salvin, E. Hargitt, and 

 Count Salvadori aided in cataloguing the birds, Mr. (afterwards Sir) George 

 Hampson and Mr. Warren worked amongst the insects, whilst Mr. George 

 Brook took (alas, only for a short time) the Madreporarian corals in hand. 

 Others who aided in this work were Prof. Kupert Jones in the Foraminifera 

 and Mr. H. M. Bernard, who, on the death of Mr. G. Brook, took up his task. 

 Noteworthy advances were thus made by the combined labours of these 

 skilled naturalists and by those of the staff. 



Dr. Giinther also instituted in 1875 a fascinating method of exhibiting the 

 birds which breed in Britain, with their nests, eggs, and young exactly as in 

 their native surroundings, only the perishable parts of the plants being 

 artificially reproduced, whilst the actual parents and the makers of the nests 

 were in every case secured. No more popular part of the great Museum 

 exists than the long Bird Gallery, in which these beautiful and interesting 

 groups are exhibited, for the life-like attitudes and the suggestive surround- 

 ings appeal to the average citizen as well as to the cultured man of science. 

 Dr. Gunther's experience as a field naturalist and aviculturist enabled him 

 to grasp all the essential features in such a display, and to combine accuracy 

 with the most charming effects. In his record of the collections he pays a 

 tribute to Lord Walsingham's help in securing suitable specimens. 



2. The Staff. — When Dr. Giinther received the appointment of Keeper, 

 Mr. F. Smith succeeded him as Assistant Keeper in charge of the Entomo- 

 logical collections, and, in 1878, there were nine Junior Assistants, viz., 

 Mr. A. G. Butler (Myriopoda, Arachnida, and Lepidoptera), Mr. C. O. Water- 

 house (Coleoptera), Mr. E. A. Smith (Mollusca), Mr. E. J. Miers (Crustacea), 

 Mr. E. Bowdler Sharpe (Birds), Mr. Oldfield Thomas (Mammalia), Mr. S. O. 

 Bidley (Polyzoa, Hydrozoa, and Anthozoa), Mr. F. J. Bell (Worms and 

 Echinoderms), and Mr. O'Shaughnessy (Eeptiles and Fishes). This staff 

 Dr. Giinther found to be insufficient for overtaking the labours entailed 

 by the ever increasing collections, and the Treasury, in 1882-83, sanctioned 

 a First-Class Assistant, Mr. G. A. Boulenger (Eeptiles and Fishes), and two 



