O'SHAUGHNESSY, ARTHUR WILLIAM EDGAR (1844-1881)

—Poet, b. in London, entered the library of the British Museum, afterwards being transferred to the natural history department, where he became an authority on fishes and reptiles. He pub. various books of poetry, including Epic of Women (1870), Lays of France (1872), and Music and Moonlight (1874). Jointly with his wife he wrote Toyland , a book for children. He was a ociated with D.G. Ro etti and the other pre-Raphae lites. There is a certain remotene in his poetry which will probably always prevent its being widely popular. He has a wonderful mastery of metre, and a "haunting music" all his own.