48 OBITUARY. 



Charles III. the first order in Spain, after that given only to princes of 

 Spanish blood. The whole of Mr. Webb's fine botanical collections, with 

 his library, have been bequeathed to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and 

 will be shortly removed to Florence. 



WILLIAM WING, ESQ., F.L.S., 



SECRETARY OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, 



HAS left a blank that will not be easily supplied. As an entomological 

 artist he had few rivals. It was at the age of fifteen that he first turned his 

 attention to entomology, and, in the course of a few years, he succeeded 

 in forming an extensive collection of British lepidoptera, hymenoptera, &c. 

 A talent for drawing was early developed, and this, combined with his 

 predilections for natural history, soon led to his being employed at that 

 great national establishment, the British Museum. Many will remember 

 that their first recollection of Mr. Wing is as a slight, rather delicate 

 youth, assiduously plying his pencil in the entomological room of the 

 British Museum. He lithographed a number of plates for the British 

 Museum Catalogues, and also for the Transactions of the Entomological 

 and Linnean Societies. He was naturally very retiring, and though pos- 

 sessed of a great amount of knowledge on a variety of subjects, he never 

 used it for the purpose of display ; and few who had not opportunities of 

 drawing him out, would have suspected the extent of his information. 

 Latterly his attention had been more particularly directed to making 

 drawings of the larvae of the microlepidoptera, and upwards of 200 of 

 these representations, which, for accuracy and life-likeness, have never been 

 surpassed, testify to his industry and perseverance. 



It was just as he was entering on the new career of usefulness, indicated 

 by the promised " Natural History of the Tineina," that he was smitten 

 with an incurable disease (diabetes), which speedily assumed such a serious 

 aspect, that great fears were entertained that he would sink under it last 

 spring; fortunately, prompt medical attendance, together with his own 

 habitual cheerfulness of disposition, succeeded in restoring him to health ; 

 and during this temporary prolongation of life he was enabled to ex- 

 ecute the plates to Mr. Stainton's volume of the "Insecta Britannica." 



Mr. Wing's death occurred on the 9th of January, in the 28th year of 

 his age. 



