THE STORY OF AN ENTOMOLOGIST 



physicist of great ability, was an eccentric youth. In the base- 

 ment of the so-called McGraw Building Dr. Wilder used to keep 

 the cats and dogs and other animals that were used in his labora- 

 tory, and the place was overrun with fleas. The janitor used to 

 roll sheets of sticky fly-paper about his ankles in cylindrical form, 

 with the sticky surface outside. This, of course, inflicted great 

 mortality on the fleas because of their pernicious habit of jump- 

 ing from the floor to one's ankles. Four-year old Phelps was 

 much intrigued by this process, and insisted on having his own 

 ankles similarly wrapped. But he carelessly brought his legs to- 

 gether, and then there was a howl for his father to come and 

 "unstick" him. Phelps had an ingenious way of simplifying the 

 English language. For example, when asked where his father 

 was, he replied, "He's gone to the Uni to study the mike." Mean- 

 ing, of course, that he had gone to the University to study the 

 microscope. 



Just one more story about Phelps. Once, at a Rochester meet- 

 ing of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 

 his father was Chairman of the Section of Zoology, and the 

 delivery of his address as Chairman was listened to by a large 

 audience. The subject was an important one relating to physi- 

 ology. Phelps and his mother were present on seats near the 

 front. Phelps, who must have been about six or seven years of 

 age, was dressed in a bright blue suit. He was obviously much 

 concerned about the effect of his father's speech, because after 

 nearly an hour he climbed up in his seat and said in his clear, 

 childish voice, "Father, you've talked too long already." 



November third, 1878, I cast my first vote. It was mid-term 

 elections, and I voted for Alonzo B. Cornell, the son of old Ezra, 

 for Governor. I had known Governor Cornell as a boy knows 

 an older man, and his son Charles had been a boyhood friend 



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