Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-03
LIEUT.. COL. MEARNS
DIES IN HOSPITAL
Retired Army Officer Who Was
Prominently Identified With
Scientific Research.
MAN OF WIDE EXPERIENCE

Lieut.. Col. Edgar Alexander Mearns,
U. S. A, retired. and associate in 20
| ology of the National Museum. died at
He was sixty years old. Funeral serv-
ices are to be held at Gawlers chapel
at 1880 o'clock tomorrow morning.
DR.. Mearns was born at Highland
Falls. N. Y, September II, 1856. He
graduated from the College of Physi-
clans and Surgeons in 1881, and in 1888
was appointed first lieutenant in the
| Medical Corps Of the army. where he
served until retired as lieutenant col
| onel, on January /. 1909.
Among the most important geological
expeditions with which he was con-
| nected were the survey Of the inter-
! national boundary between Mexico and
! the United States, in 1924. to the
Philippine Islands in 10000. and 1906
81. on the Smithsonian African Expe-
dition 1909-10. and on the Childs-Frick
Abyssinian Expedition in 1911-12-
Interested in Many Subjects.
While DR.. Mearns was chiefly in
terested in birds and mammals, his col
lections were not limited to zoology.
but wherever he went he also gathered
all information procurable. whether 1t
| was in botany, ethnology, archaeology
or any other field.
His published papers comprise about
122 titles. chiefly on mammals, birds
and plants. the first of which appeared
many being included in the publica-
tons of the Smithsonian Institution and
its branches. A short time ago, when he
was forced to abandon his studies on
account of i'll health. he was working
on an elaborate report of the birds coll
lected by the two African expeditions.
DR.. Mearns was member of the
American OInithologists' Union. of
which he was a founder; the Lin
the Biological Society Of Washing,
! ton. the American Association for the
Advancement of Science and the Amer
lean Museum of Natural History. OF
which he was patron. and many other
scientific organizations.
Memorial Services Held.
A memorial meeting for Col Mearns
was held at the National Museum yes
terday afternoon. DR.. Charles D. Wal.
colt, secretary of the Smithsonian In
| stitution, presided. Many tof Col
Mearns' friends and scientific col.
leagues told of his association with
them and OF his exceptional work as
zoologist. and particularly of his re-
markable ability as collector of nat.
ural history specimens. Among then
were DR.. Paul Bartsch, DR.. c. Har,
Merriam, DR.. Leonhard Stejneger, Prof
William H. Holmes, Mr.. e. W. Nelson
and DR.. T. Wayland Vaughan
Dr. Merriam stated that DR.. Mearns
was undoubtedly the greatest zoologi-
cal collector the United States has pro.
duced. OF the museums entire collec-
ton Of birds. one of the largest In the
world. over a tenth was contributed by
him.
Personal Recollections.
Many personal recollections were
given concerning his scientific exploits
and his remarkable persistence and
ability in securing collections under
difficulties. instances being cited of his
obtaining valuable specimens while ac.
tually under fire from hostile natives
The congeniaIity of DR.. Mearns' char
acter, his friendships. and interest In
the work of others, and his own indie
fatigable labor and enthusiasm as 9
scientific investigator also were re-
counted.