38 
IV. 
^OTES ON THE LIFE AND WHITINGS OE 
EDWAPiD ELYTH. 
Ey II. D. Geldart, V.P. 
Read 28th October, 1879. 
It is a Tory pleasant featiiio in tlie proceedings of our Society, that 
great interest is alivays slioivn by its iiiombors in the history of any 
distnignishcd man of science, who has been eomieetcd locally with 
our County, either by birth or resiclenec. Eelyiiig on this feeling I 
venture to bring before you these few notes of the work aV 
writings of one whom we may claim by desoent, though he did not 
iXtrTwr’i'irT ““oof 
j^iactical Natural History, 
Edwarf IJlyth was born in London in 1 S10.» His father was of a 
hoifolk family, and from him the son appears to have inherited 
bo h his larte for nature and a very retentive memory. ISlyth's 
tather dmd in 1830, and his mother sent him to school at Wii.Ale- 
doii Here he seems to have made unusual progress with his 
books, but the school reports describe him as being of truant 
habits, and as being frequently found in the woods. He left 
school III 1825, and went to study chemistry in London, and as 
soon as he w.as of ago embarked all his little means in a drimmst’s 
business a looting. To this he seems to have giveiilittle 
poisonal attention, whilst he devoted all his time to the study of 
Natural History, M'lncli engrossed Ids tliouglits. “Never,” says Ids 
* ‘Journal of tlic Asiatic Society of Beiio-al ’ Part 9 Rvivo m i 
August, 1875. “ Catalogue of Mammals and Birds of Burma.' By thchltc 
E. Blyth, with Memoir by A. Grotc, and List of Papers, etc.” 
