124 THE entomologist's recokd. 



of the E^ntonioloc/ist, which he had joined in 1901, frequently con- 

 tributing to its pages. 



In 1906, he married Miss Annie K. Bienhani, and had two 

 children ; the firstborn, the son and heir of whom he was so proud, 

 died a year ago ; the other, a daughter, survives to console his widow. 



Not long after his arrival in Honolulu, he met with an accident 

 that crippled the rest of his life, and eventually brought him so early 

 to the grave. While he was riding on horseback, his leg was caught 

 in the spokes of a buggy wheel, nearly wrenched off, and fractured in 

 five places. The bone refused to set, in spite of repeated operations. 

 Early this year, when visiting San Francisco with his family, he was 

 persuaded to undergo yet another operation, five days after which he 

 succumbed, on February 2nd. 



His uncomprising advocacy of the rule of priority in nomenclature, 

 his stern adherence to the strict letter of the law, his absolute refusal 

 to admit emendations or the slightest elasticity in the rule, his un- 

 swerving confidence in himself, and impetuou.s character, sometimes 

 brought him into collision with his fellow workers. It was a funda- 

 mental article of faith with him, that only by such means could 

 ultimate stability of nomenclature be attained, and that was the object 

 for which he was working in the general *' Catalogue of the Hemip- 

 tera," a monumental and voluminous work, the first tome of which 

 appeared last year (Cimicid<e); a second is in the press, and will appeal' 

 posthumously. 



He leaves many friendf: in all parts of the world, friends who 

 admired and respected him. We may perhaps be allowed to quote an 

 appreciative letter from a mutual friend and colleague from the other 

 side of Europe. " Ce n'est pas seulement un ami sincere et trt^s 

 devoue que nous veiions de perdre, mais nn homme de grande valeur, 

 loyal et tres-consciencieux, conime on n'en rencontre pas souvent. 

 Son oeuvre colossale'-' nous restera comme le fruit d'un puissant et 

 infatigable travailleur qui a eu le courage de faire de precieuses et 

 ('.irelU')ites refoniies en Hemipterologie, et on aurait grand tort de lui 

 reprocher les (j^uelques petites erreurs de detail qu'il aurait pu 

 connnettre, car il etait le premier a les reconnaitre et h les reparer 

 lorsqu'on lui en signalait avec des apparences de raison. Malgre les 

 (^uelques ennemis qu'il a pu avoir et que seule, sa grande franchise 

 aurait pu rendre jaloux de son oeuvre, il n'en restera pas moins dans 

 les premiers rangs des Hemipteristes de notre epoque oil il avait su se 

 creer une place d'honneur. Enfin cette mort si inattendue m'a 

 absolument consterne, car j'avais pour Kirkaldy non seulement une 

 profonde et sincere affection, mais encore une tres haute estime que 

 justifiaient amplement ses vastes et solides connaissances. La 

 siirete de ses vues d'ensemble le sortait tout-a-fait de la vulgaire 

 banalite ou se complaisent tant d'entomologistes. Sa perte est 

 certainement pour la Science un malheur irreparable pour le moment, 

 et je la deplore du fond du coeur." 



That is indeed a noble epitaph, but it is thoroughly well-deserved. 

 — M.B. 



He had fleseiibed nearly a tliousand species of Hemiptera. 



