345 



Guppy Reprint 



197 



Natural History studies. Nevertheless he managed to note and 

 even publish a multitude of facts relating to the Natural History 

 of Trinidad. It seems indeed pathetic to find him in later days 

 regretting that in the prime of life he had no time nor means for 

 the work he most loved, while in life's eve, when time and more 

 means were at his command he no longer had strength to work 

 — one or two hauls of the seine producing complete exhaustion. 

 All phases of Natural History appealed to him, but it was to an- 

 imal life, especially the Invertebrates that he devoted most of his 

 attention. He cheerfully bore the hardships incidental to the 

 collection of new facts in the field, but his greatest delight was 

 in their interpretation. Note for example his interpretation of 

 the meaning of the Matura dwarf fauna, the origin of the Bocas 

 and his reasons for an "Atlantis". Among the Invertebrates 

 the Foraminifera and the Mollusca received most attention. 

 These he found, ranging in age from the Cretaceous to the 

 Quatenary. In fact, some few indications he seemed to find of 

 Paleozoic remains in the Northern range, and on two occasions he 

 published the known molluscan fauna of the Gulf of Paria. 



He was a zealous worker for the upbuilding of local scienti- 

 fic organizations as the published proceedings of the Scientific 

 Association of Trinidad, the Field Naturalists' Club, and the Vic- 

 toria Institute clearly attest. In the latter he hoped for real re- 

 sults by waj^ of library and museum facilities. He found, how- 

 ever, its resources gradually turned into non-scientific channels. 

 Fortunately he was spared the pain of witnessing its recent de- 

 struction. 



The opposition, even bitterness, encountered in introducing 

 modern, efficient, secular education in new territory can well be 

 imagined and easily understood. But the lack of sympathy 

 shown to an original natural history worker in a distant land by 

 those who had it within their power to aid rather than criticize 

 seems far more difficult to explain. Guppy wisely knew the 

 weakness of his own situation, without an adequate library, 

 without museum material for comparison, and without means he 

 could devote to his scientific work. This is reflected in the mild" 



