114 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



species that breed in the salt marshes, and of his persistent and finally 

 successful efforts to induce the State legislature of that wealthy but ex- 

 tremely economical State to appropriate a large sum of money to relieve 

 New Jersey from its characteristically traditional pest we must hold up 

 our hands in admiration. 



One important lesson learned from Doctor Smith's suc- 

 cessful career is that it is possible for a man of adaptability, 

 of force of character, and of keen perception, without univer- 

 sity training and without any training in biological research, 

 to take up both systematic and economic entomology after 

 reaching manhood and to become in the course of a short life 

 one of the prominent men of the Nation. 



It is a sad and curious coincidence that both Charles V. 

 Riley and John B. Smith died at the same age. 



Doctor Howard made some additional remarks and quoted 

 a letter from Dr. Smith, dated February 23, 1912, as follows: 



DEAR DOCTOR HOWARD: Yours of the 10th inst. is at hand. No, it 

 is nothing serious. It only means the preliminary to a funeral, and that 

 is one of the commonest things that occurs. 



Professor Webster made the following remarks : 



I think it must have been about 1885 that I first began cort 

 responding with John B. Smith, and I remember well his firs- 

 letter, and remarked at the time its hearty spirit of comrade- 

 ship. While I did not meet him until a number of years after- 

 wards, that same spirit was true of him all of his life. Dr. 

 Smith never was too busy to help anybody. You might go to 

 him when he was in the midst of his work and he would drop 

 everything and try and help you; I have always noticed, too, 

 that, in all of our entomological associations and societies, Doc- 

 tor Smith was always ready to take hold and w T ork, and worked 

 like a Trojan. It has always been a wonder to me how one 

 man could accomplish so much; how he found time to even try 

 to do some of the things that he did. Of course in a man so 

 prolific, it would be almost beyond human endurance for him 

 to be always exact. Sometimes we would get out of patience 

 with him over his mistakes and tenacity in holding to them, 

 yet could not stay out of patience any length of time. Of 

 course, the work that he did will be revised, and more or less, 

 perhaps, dropped out, which is true of all of us; but after all 

 error is sifted out, though cut off in his prime, there will be 

 a good life's work left. I do not believe I can say anything 

 more than that he will be sadly and universally missed, ex- 



