BRODERIP, WILLIAM JOHN, a distinguished writer on natural history, was born in Bristol, probably in 1787. He was educated at the school conducted by the Rev. Samuel Seyer, and proceeded to Oriel College, Oxford, where he began the study of law. He was called to the bar in 1817, and took part for several years in editing the law reports. In 1822 he was appointed by Sir Robert Peel one of the metropolitan police magistrates, a post which he occupied for thirty-four years. All his leisure time was devoted to the favourite study of his earlier days - natural history. He was a member of most of the scientific societies, contributed numerous papers to their Transactions, and did much to further the study of zoology in England. He acted for many years as vice-president of the Zoological Society. The zoological articles in the Penny Cyclopcedia were written by him, and made him widely known as an original investigator and able expositor. A series of articles contributed to Fraser's Magazine were reprinted in 1848 as Zoological Recreations, and were followed in 1852 by Leaves from the Note-Book of a Naturalist. Broderip died on the 27th February 1859.