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 Sept., I9o5l i2 9 In Memoriam: Walter E. Bryant ' ]orn 4th January, f86/.--Died zzst Ma), 9o5 BY x. VALTIR K. FISH]R OT since the lamented Chester Barlow passed away, nearly three years ago, has this Society stiflered so severe a loss as irom the recent death of our esteemed honorary member, Walter E. Bryant. And in this case, too, the final dissolution was wholly unexpected, because none of his friends were aware of his illness until a few days beiore the sad event. In June i9o 4 Mr Bryant was sent to San Bias, Mexico, to investigate the tangled affairs of a large fruit concern. x, Vith his usual conscientious care he did his work with great com- pleteness and unearthed a system of graft which had all but rendered the com- pany bankrupt. He had never been of robust health, and from overwork and worry in an abominable climate, with worse food, he became seriously ill. He remained at his post, however, until his successor arrived, and then left only aiter repeated urgings from a friend who happened to be stopping temporarily at San Bias. Mr. Bryant did not fully realize his precarious condition. After his arrival in San Francisco he was sent to a sanatorium, but failed to rally, and passed away on May xst, at the age of forty-four years. Although he was still a young man, Bryant may be considered a pioneer in his chosen field because his work was mostly done in, until then, practically un- explored regions or regions which had been only touched. His name, therefore, occupies an important place in West Coast ornithology by reason of his important explorations and his substantial and accurate contributions to the literature of the subject. He collected also mammals, plants, and insects, and published several important papers on mammalogical subjects. Although his first article on natural history appeared as early as x878 in Science News, , No. 7, it was not till after his appointment as curator in the California Academy of Sciences, in x886, that he began to write extensively. As Mr. Grinnell has sunlmarized on another page, "the majority of his published writings appeared from 1887 to 889 in the 'Bulle- tin' and 'Proceedings' of the California Academy of Sciences, and from 89o to 893 in 'Zoe'; a periodical published for four years at San Francisco." During this time which spans his period of activity in ornithological lines, Mr. Bryant pub- lished about forty titles, including reviews. A conlptete list of his ornithological papers has been compiled by Mr. Grinnell and is appended at the end of this sketch. Probal)ly the West has never produced a better field ornithologist than Mr. Bryant. He ws a lnst intelligent and painstaking observer, and as a preparator of specimens he certainly stood without a peer. In the Academy of Sciences are many examples of his work, accmllplished raider great difficulties, and without ex- ception the skins are good. When he had leisure and proper facilities his speci- mens were works ,f art. He was also expert in mounting birds, and mounted hummingbirds in the field. In addition to being a skilled preparator, Mr. Bryant was an intrepid explorer. His visit to Ouadalupe Island, as an instance, was accomplished in the face ,f serious physical difficulties, and he nearly starved to death, being obliged to stay about three times as long s tie had originally intended. Walter E. Bryant was born January 74, x86, at Sonoma, Sonoma Co., Cali- fornia, and was the son of DanielSharp, and Susan H. Bryant, who survive him. a Read at the September meeting of the Cooper Ornithological Club.