On this journey he finally proceeded to Manilla, at the commencement of hostilities between the Governments of the United States and Spain; and afterwards, when in London, related to the writer how, while apparently collecting objects of natural history there, he prepared plans of the harbour and defences, making tracings of them upon articles of clothing, which he succeeded in bringing out with him, and delivering to Admiral Dewey at Hong-Kong, and which he asserted enabled the American fleet to so easily enter and capture the place.
After this he returned to America, but early last year was again in London, arranging an expedition to East Africa and Madagascar; and, although evidently in very bad health, he left in March for Mombasa. From here he worked along the line of the Uganda Railway into the interior, making valuable collections in the neighbourhood of Lake Naivasha and other parts. In the last consignment received from him were a fine series of the remarkable, and hitherto unique, Papilio rex, and also the Danais formosa, of which it is so extraordinary a mimic. Doherty was probably the most successful and extensive collector of birds and insects since the days of Bates and Wallace.
He wrote some papers on the butterflies of some of the localities he visited, which have been published in the 'Journal' of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He also paid much attention to land-shells, and discovered many new species.
His age is not known to the writer, but was probably about forty-five.
O. E. J.[1]
- ↑ Oliver E. Janson
