INSECTS AND ENTOMOLOGISTS 469 



volumes that you knew were in existence but bad never before seen. 

 And yet Say was well off in these matters because be bad the library 

 of the academy to draw upon, and there were then — possibly there are 

 now — more works on entomological subjects in Philadelphia than else- 

 where in the United States. 



Melsheimer and Haldeman were also of the Philadelphia clan, 

 coleopterists and systematists, and to the former we owe the first cata- 

 logue of American coleoptera — an excellent piece of work for its time 

 and of very great use to students until it was superseded by the Crotch 

 check list, which remained the standard for many years until it in turn 

 was superseded by the Henshaw list. These latter check lists are both 

 the work of the Boston circle, Crotch having done most of his work at 

 Cambridge, where Henshaw is still doing excellent service. 



Dr. John L. LeConte, of Philadelphia, has without doubt done 

 more for American coleopterology than any one other man. It was my 

 privilege to know him personally and to profit to some extent by bis 

 encouragement and advice. Dr. LeConte, though confining his work to 

 the coleoptera, was by no means narrow in his knowledge, and the com- 

 prehensive view that be was able to take of his subject is witnessed in 

 the " Classification of American Coleoptera/' which forms to the pres- 

 ent day the basis of our knowledge in this order, and which will main- 

 tain its value though the order of families may be changed and their 

 relationships better established. Dr. LeConte's collection is now at 

 Cambridge, accessible to all serious students. 



Dr. George H. Horn, first a pupil, later a collaborates with Dr. 

 LeConte, did as much or even more systematic work in coleoptera. But 

 the work is different : Dr. Horn was a genius in the separation of 

 species and in their arrangement within generic or family limits; but 

 be lacked the broad views of Dr. LeConte and was more precise in 

 working out details. With Dr. Horn I was well acquainted, and many 

 an hour did I spend in his room among his boxes, while he was on his 

 rounds; for the doctor had a large practise and entomology was his 

 recreation. I regret that I can not give a picture of that room. There 

 was a cot in one corner which was often the only available place to sit; 

 there was a huge table or desk occupying most of the floor and, during 

 the many years that I knew that room, this table was cleared only once. 

 Occasionally the cigarette stumps would be gathered together and 

 thrown out; but the dust and dirt were never otherwise disturbed. 

 Cabinets and book-shelves were about the walls and books were every- 

 where — on the floor, the chairs and often even on the bed. It was 

 strictly a workroom and the doctor was an indefatigable worker. His 

 collection is now in the rooms of the American Entomological Society 

 in Philadelphia. 



John Abbot, associated with J. E. Smith in the work on the rarer 



