MEMOIR OP THE RATE JOHN’ HENRY GURNEY. 
1G1 
latitude, to Cape Colony in the south, and the latter from Funen 
to a like southern latitude. 
As might bo expected, Mr. Gurney took great interest in the 
scheme for converting Norwich Castle into a Museum, and entered 
thoroughly into the arrangements necessary for the eventual transfer 
of the collections, although declining, from failing health, to take any 
part in the building operations ; and there cau be no doubt that 
his judgment and experience will be greatly missed by those whose 
duty it will be to carry into effect the final arrangements for the 
reception of the various collections. 
Mr. Gurney was also a liberal donor to the Lynn Museum, to 
which he presented a large portion, which he had purchased, of the 
ornithological collection formed by Mr. Alfred Wallace in the Malay 
Archipelago, providing wall cases for their display. It is matter 
for regret that so interesting a collection should suffer from want 
of sufficient funds for its due preservation. 
Mr. J. H. Gurney tells me that at various periods of his life his 
father indulged his taste for keeping beasts and birds alive, and he 
remembers besides Otters, Jackals, Foxes, and several Eagles, a 
Porcupine, a Coati-muudi, and a Badger caught at Intwood, to say 
nothing of Storks, white and black, which cut their legs on 
cucumber frames and impaled themselves on railings. A large 
yard at ( 'atton was dedicated to the cause of zoology, and a row of 
cages put up, which were kept for birds of prey, of which he had 
much the best private collection then in existence, though since 
surpassed by Lord Lilford's. Although the birds never bred, he 
obtained many eggs of the Goshawk, Kite, African Kite, Jackal 
Buzzard, Bough-legged Buzzard, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Sociable 
Vulture, and others. The last-named laid about a dozen very 
fine eggs, though one or two of them were soft ; she began to lay 
in 1859, and always laid in February, until 18G8, when she 
changed her time to March. This Vulture,'”' familiarly known as 
“ Mrs. Stockings,” was the terror of children, as she was allowed 
to roam over the whole yard. Her death, in March, 1887, is duly 
recorded in ‘ The Ibis ’ for that year ; and as she M as an old bird in 
1855 she could not have lived less than a quarter of a century. 
Mr. Gurney was the introducer of the Japanese Pheasant into 
Norfolk, though he never obtained a purebred one; but the first 
* Now in the Museum. 
M 2 
