# Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Saunders, Howard

​SAUNDERS, HOWARD (1835–1907), ornithologist and traveller, born in London on 16 Sept. 1835, was son of Alexander Saunders by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Laundy. Educated at private schools at Leatherhead and Rottingdean, he subsequently entered the firm of Anthony Gibbs & Sons, South American merchants and bankers in the City of London, and in 1855, when twenty years old, left England to take up a post at Callao, in Peru. His love of natural history and archaeology and liking for adventurous travel led him, however, to relinquish business pursuits. Leaving Peru in 1860, he crossed the Andes and explored the headwaters of the Amazon river, descending thence to Para. The perilous journey provided novel and rich material for scientific study.
After his return in 1862 Saunders devoted himself to ornithological research. His first memoir, which appeared in 1866 in the 'Ibis,' the organ of the British Ornithological Union, gave an account of the albatrosses observed whilst on his voyage from Cape Horn to Peru. Turning his attention to the avifauna of Spain, he next wrote papers on the birds of Spain (Ibis, 1869-78) and the birds of the Pyrenees and Switzerland {Ibis, 1883-97). He had become an accomplished Spanish scholar and often travelled to Spain, contributing 'Ornithological Rambles in Spain and Majorca' to the 'Field' newspaper in 1874. Saunders was joint-editor with Dr. P. L. Sclater of the' 'Ibis' (1883-8 and 1894-1900); and from 1901 till his death was secretary and treasurer of the British Ornithological Union, which he had joined in 1870. He was the recorder of Aves for the 'Zoological Record' (1876-81).
From 1880 to 1885 Saunders was honorary secretary of Section D (zoology) of the British Association. A fellow of the Zoological and Linnean Societies, he served on the councils of each, and wrote for their 'Proceedings' and 'Journal' memoirs, many of which dealt more especially with the Laridce (gulls and terns). He was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and deeply interested in all branches of geographical research.
Saunders's chief independent publication was 'An Illustrated Manual of British Birds' (1889; 2nd edit. 1899). He also edited 'Yarrell's British Birds' (4th edit. 1882-5, vols. iii. and iv.) in succession to Prof. Alfred Newton [q. v. Suppl. II], and he wrote the monograph on terns, gulls, and skuas (vol. xxv. 1896) for the 'Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum.' He revised and annotated Mitchell's 'Birds of Lancashire' (2nd edit. 1892). He died at his residence, 7 Radnor Place, W., on 20 Oct. 1907, and was buried in Kensal Green cemetery. He married in 1868 Emily, youngest daughter of William Minshull Bigg, of Stratford Place, W., and had issue two daughters.
Saunders was a frequent writer in the 'Field' and 'Athenæum.' In addition to those cited he wrote memoirs on the eggs collected on the transit of Venus expedi- ​tions, 1874–5 (Phil Trans, vol. 168, 1879); on the birds (Laridæ) collected during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger {Report, Zoology, vol. ii.), and the article 'Birds' in the 'Antarctic Manual' (National Antarctic Expedition, 1901).
[Proc. Linn. Sec, 1908; The Ibis, ser. ix., vol. 2, Jubilee Suppl. (with portrait); Trans. Norfolk and Norwich Nat. Soc, vol. viii.; Roy. Soc. Catal. Papers; Zoologist, ser. iv. vol. ii. (with portrait); Field, 26 Oct. 1907; Nature, 24 Oct. 1907; Athenæum, 26 Oct. 1907; The Times, 22 Oct. 1907.]
T. E. J.