ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION. XV 



synonymy has thereby been unnecessarily increased, the correction of 

 all the errors at one time must be my only apology. 



Mr. E. T. Cresson announced the death of Mr. James Ridings, a 

 member of the Section and one of the founders of the American 

 Entomological Society. 



The following biographical notice was presented : 



James Ridings was born at Boltou-le-Moors, Lancashire, England, 

 April 30, 1803, died in Philadelphia, July 29, 1880, aged 77 years. 

 His early years present the usual uneventful history of an English 

 boy, and his educational opportunities were such as could be obtained 

 in the parish school. At the early age of 12 years he showed a 

 decided interest in the observation of natural objects, and he aided 

 himself by association with others of similar tastes in his native place. 

 His text books were a few odd volumes of Linnasus and Cuvier, from 

 which he laid the foundation of the knowledge and pleasure of after 

 years. In 1830 with a wife and family he came to this city and 

 engaged in the manufacture of hand-looms and lathes, hand-loom 

 weaving being then a very prosperous industry. He soon became 

 acquainted with Drs. Rush and McClelian who knowing his tastes 

 urged him to pursue his studies and gave him every encouragement. 

 He continued collecting in this vicinity and by his example stimulated 

 others and thus assisted in forming the nucleus of the Entomological 

 Society of Philadelphia, which was founded in 1859, the name of which 

 was subsequently changed to the American Entomological Society. 



He did not confine himself to this vicinity in collecting but made 

 numerous journeys more or less distant, to Colorado and Kansas in 

 1864, Georgia in 1865, and many times to the Shenandoah Valley of 

 Virginia, which was always a favorite locality with him. 



Mr. Ridings was always glad to be of assistance to others and 

 many among us remember his kindly advice and gifts of specimens. 

 Distrustful of his own ability and naturally retiring he never entered 

 the field as a writer but allowed the numerous new species discovered 

 by him to be made known by others. As the infirmities of advanced 

 age bore gradually more heavily upon him and feeling that his period 

 of activity had passed he distributed his cabinet among younger 

 workers in the field. 



Although not a young man at the time of the organization of our 

 Society, he lived to see it firmly established and occupying a promi- 

 nent position among kindred societies. He was for a time Vice-Presi- 

 dent of the Society and for several years Curator of its cabinet. 



