130 
THE CONDOR 
| Vol. VII 
From the time he was four years old he resided at Oakland, California (with few 
exceptions) until 1896, when he moved to Santa Rosa. His education w r as se- 
cured in a private, and afterwards in the public schools of Oakland. As a boy he 
was always interested in natural history, which predilection announced itself at 
an early age, when he was never without a bouquet of wild flowers — even in bed. 
He was trained from childhood by his father in the use of fire-arms, his first gun 
having been given him when he was seven years old. While still quite young 
he commenced collecting insects and eggs, and he also mounted birds. He was 
fond of boating, and built his first boat himself. In 1884 Mr. Bryant took lessons 
from Mr. William T. Hornadav in mounting mammals, and studied museum work 
at the National Museum, and the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 
The greater part of Mr. Bryant’s time was given to ornithology and other 
natural history work. From 1886 to 1894 he was curator in the California Acad- 
emy of Sciences where he made a host of friends. His principal trips, during 
which he collected birds and mammals were as follows: 1883, summer in Oregon; 
1884, Guadalupe Island in December; winter of i885-’86, Guadalupe Island for 
four months; i887-’88, California and Nevada; 1889, vicinity of Magdalena Bay 
and adjacent islands, Lower California; 1890, Gulf Region, Lower California; 1892, 
in the spring, Santa Rosa del Cabo and vicinity, L- C.; 1901, Central America; 
1902 and 1903, summers in Alaska; June 1904 to April 1905, San Bias, Mexico. 
Mr. Bryant was especially interested in hummingbirds, of which he had a 
large collection, which with his collection of nests and eggs is now the property of 
his mother. His mounted birds were given to his father previous to his last trip, 
and his mammals were sent last year to the Milwaukee Museum. His other bird 
skins were disposed of a number of years ago to the California Academy of Sciences. 
In 1888 Mr. Bryant became an Active Member of the American Ornitholog- 
ists’ Union but at the time of his death was a Corresponding Fellow. He was 
one of the founders and first president of the California Ornithological Club, es- 
tablished in 1889, a forerunner of the present Cooper Ornithological Club. He 
was an early president of the latter organization, of which he was made an honor- 
ary member in 1894. 
Mr. Bryant holds a high place in the esteem of his fellow workers because he 
was a good ornithologist and a good friend. He was exceptionally kind to young 
ornithologists and was ever willing to lend a helping hand. By nature he was 
reserved and quiet, but generous and loyal, and cheerful under adverse circum- 
stances. One who knew him better perhaps than did any other member of the 
Club, writes as follows: 
“Today tender memories are awakened of one who has passed away. I have 
just found one of his letters, written some twenty years ago. Friend Walter Bry- 
ant and I had been much afield together. In this finely penned note he tells me 
of some specimens he has saved for me, also stating having found in a San Fran- 
cisco taxidermist’s shop an example of Selasphorus floresii , the second specimen, as 
he says, known to ornithologists. 
“Mr. Bryant, as I have known him, was a quiet, reserved, sparely built man, 
whom it was necessary to know by close association to appreciate his true worth. 
He was not given to joking but could tell a good story, and was kind to a degree 
to all. His was a large heart and an honest intent. He always had a good word 
for every one and was ready to help the novice in bird lore as I had on many an 
occasion to learn in our early acquaintance. 
“No insect or bird could escape his eye or ear, as I learned from camp life 
with him under the white-limbed buckeyes on the banks of a trickling stream be- 
