Son of William Saunders of Wandsworth and cousin of William Wilson Saunders (see below). In 1826 he gained an appointment in the Foreign Office and in 1835 was made British Consul in Albania, transferring in 1859 to Alexandria. 5 years later he was made Consul-General in the Ionian Islands a position he held until 1870. He was knighted in 1873. Saunders remained interested in insects throughout his life and was correcting a paper for the ESL at the time of his death. His interests included Diptera and Hymenoptera in particular, particularly as pests of figs, but his first paper was on Coleoptera in Trans.ESL., 1, 1836, pp.149-157, in which he described some new beetles sent to him from Monte Video, and in 1851 he published ‘Descriptions of two new Strepsipterous insects from Albania, parasitical on bees of the genus Hylaeus’ (ibid. ser.2, 1, pp.69-75), which was the first of several on this group. The HDO purchased in June 1884 ‘from the representatives of the late Sir Sidney Smith Saunders his entire collection of English & Foreign Strepsiptera, occupying 2 large drawers – price £25... also the Collection of Strepsipterous &other insects with their details mounted as 116 microscopical slides arranged in 7 boxes - & another collection of specimens of these insects & of larvae &c. of Meloidae in 177 small bottles in spirits – also a collection of larvae & illustns. of transformations of Meloidae &c. And three thick 4to Volumes filledc with MSS notes of Observations on the above mentd. Collections’ together with some other material including blind cave insects (Smith (1986) pp.146-47). His European Coleoptera together with other insects were sold by Stevens on 15 July in the same year. Letters to Westwood 1852-84); 3 notebooks titles Entomological Notes; and a ms of 1871 titled Stresipteridarum, pro Ordine Strepsipterorum Kirbii olim, mihi tamen potius Coleopterorum Familiae, Rhipiphoridis Meloidisque propinque, Monographis. Auctore S.S.Saunders is in the HDO (Sith (1986) pp.86-87). Pedersen (2002) p.46 records that there are drawings of insects by Saunders in the Templeton’s scrapbook in the RESL. 279 which includes a bibliography. He was one of the original members of the ESL; Vice President 1873, 1876; President 1874-75. Gilbert (1977) p.333 lists 9 obituary and other notices including EMM., 20, 1884, pp.278-79 which includes a bibliography. (MD 11/04)