190 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Jan. 



referring to the eggs of a rare butterfly which had been sent to 

 him, he said: "The eggs of Dorcas are in my cellar in a black 

 cardboard box, you had better get track of them. " He asked me 

 to acknowledge these eggs saying that he would write himself in a 

 week or so. This was the last letter from him which we received 

 at the Division. 



It was decided soon after his arrival at the Royal Victoria 

 Hospital that he would have to undergo an operation, but, owing 

 to the serious nature of this, it was delayed from time to time, 

 hoping that he would get stronger. This he did not do, however, 

 and the operation had to be performed on Saturday, November 

 7th. Owing to his very weak condition, he failed to rally and 

 died the next morning. During the whole time he was in the 

 hospital he was very happy and had no fear whatever of the 

 result of the operation. Even here he was looking forward to the 

 near enjoyment of larger quarters for his Department, and of 

 further help to carry on the important work about which he 

 knew^ so much and which he did so well. The funeral was held on 

 Tuesday, December 10th, from his residence at the Experimental 

 Farm, to St. Barnabas' Church and thence to Beechwood Ceme- 

 tery. 



The Rev. Professor Bethune, in the Canadian Entomologist, 

 December, 1908, has expressed our feelings so well when he says: 

 " Few men ever made so many loving friends in all walks of life ; 

 every one who came to know him did not fail to become warmly 

 attached to him. There are many sad hearts grieving at his loss 

 all over the Dominion of Canada, and many too in widely scattered 

 places in the United States. Old and voung, rich or poor, learned 

 or ignorant, children and their elders, it made no difference — he 

 had a kindly word for each one, and most can treasure in. their 

 memories a kindly deed as well. When he addressed a meeting 

 he captivated his audience at once, and when he joined an excur- 

 sion of nature students all were eager to be with him, and learn 

 from him some of the secrets of the woods and fields that he knew 

 so w^ell . We shall not see his like again, but we may all feel that it 

 was good for us to have known him — his memory will long live in 

 our hearts — his noble words and generous deeds will be happy 

 recollections for many a year to come. " 



Dr. Fletcher was bom at Ashe, in the County of Kent, Eng- 

 land, on March 28th, 1852. He was educated at King's School, 

 Rochester, and came to Canada in 1874 as a clerk in the Bank 

 of British North America. Two years later he left the bank and 

 became an assistant in the Library of Parliament, Ottawa. All 

 his spare time he devoted to entomology and botany and soon 

 became a recognised authority not only on these subjects but on 

 other branches of natural historv as well. 



