OBITUARY. ' 79 



devoted his energies, and it was he who first recognised the 

 principle of mimicry in the animal world. On the first publi- 

 cation of Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection, Mr. Bates 

 became a firm adherent of the new school of Biology, and he 

 regarded the doctrine as the only satisfactory explanation of the 

 phenomena of the world of life. Though he returned to England 

 in 1859, Mr. Bates did not complete his classic work, "The 

 Naturalist on the Amazons," vmtil nearly four years later ; and his 

 only book of later years was his " Central America, the West Indies, 

 and South America," contributed to Stanford's Compendium of 

 Geography, in 1878. He wrote part of the section on Coleoptera in 

 the " Biologia Centrali-Americana," and in the Royal Society's List 

 of Scientific Papers he is credited with nearly 80 contributions on 

 entomological subjects to various serials and publications of societies. 

 In proportion, however, to his wide knowledge, Mr. Bates wrote 

 little ; and in matters relating to the broad questions of Natural 

 History, he was ever ready with brilliant suggestions for anyone who 

 might consult him. As Assistant Secretary of the Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society for a period of 27 years, Mr. Bates was placed in a 

 congenial sphere of influence, that enabled him to make the best use 

 of his philosophic learning and long experience ; and British travellers 

 of the present generation will feel that in him they have lost one of 

 their best friends and most valued counsellors. 



THOMAS STERRY HUNT. 

 Born September 5, 1825 — Died February 12, 1892. 



AFTER a painful illness, which had long incapacitated him from 

 active work, Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, F.R.S., passed away, at New 

 York, on the 12th of February, in his 67th year. Though most of his 

 scientific work was done in Canada, he was a citizen of the United States 

 by birth, having been born in the picturesque little town of Norwich, in 

 Connecticut. He received most of his early education at Hartford in 

 the same State, but obtained his first scientific appointment in 

 New Haven, where, at the age of 20, he became the assistant 

 to Professor Silliman, in the Chemical Laboratory of Yale College. 

 He, however, only remained here two years, being appointed in 

 1847 Chemist and Mineralogist to the Canadian Geological 

 Survey. In this country he spent nearly the whole of the 

 remainder of his life, for though he resigned his Survey office 

 in 1872 in favour of the Chair of Geology in the Technological 

 Institute of Massachusetts, he soon returned to Montreal. His 

 first scientific publication, containing a notice of the titanife- 

 rous minerals, was issued in 1846, and for many years after- 

 wards he poured forth short papers upon various branches of 

 Mineralogy and Chemistry. • His work was noted rather for daring 

 originality than for accuracy of thought or observation. He belonged 



