loO THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



heard. He was known, admired and loved all through the States. In fact, 

 I have never known a man who had so many absolutely devoted friends as 

 Dr. Fletcher. His 'energy, his enthusiasm, his absorbing interest in every- 

 thing that lives and grows, his warm heart, his cheeriness, his perfect lack 

 of even a suspicion of egotism, attracted every one who knew him, and 

 bound them to him in friendship, and even love, forever. Here in Wash- 

 ington among the Entomologists and others there are many sad hearts 

 to-day." 



DR. WILLIAM H. ASHMEAD. 



On the 17th of October Dr. William Ashmead died in Washington, D.C., 

 aged 53 years. For more than a year he was in such an unsatisfactory 

 state of health that his recovery appeared impossible and it was therefore 

 no surprise to learn that the end had at last arrived. His break down in 

 the midst of a career of scientific usefulness was evidently brought about by 

 overwork ; he devoted himself with such intensity to the study of the Hymen- 

 optera and the publication of the results that he gave himself no rest and 

 literally wore himself out, to the grief and distress of his family and many 

 friends. 



For close upon thirty years he was a constant contributor to the pages 

 of "The Canadian Entomologist," his first articles on insects affecting the 

 orange, having appeared in 1879. At that time he lived in Jacksonville, 

 Florida, where he was engaged in the publishing business, which included 

 the issue of a daily paper and a weekly agricultural journal. He was natur- 

 ally much interested in the production of oranges and his attention thus 

 became drawn to the insects injuring the trees and fruit and those parasitic 

 forms that somewhat keep them in check. His work was so thorough that he 

 was made a field Entomologist for the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture in 1887, and began his career as a professional Entomologist. 



In 1890 he went to Germany and studied for some time in Berlin, thus 

 becoming qualified for the performance of scientific work of a high char- 

 acter. In July, 1897, he was appointed a Curator of the Department of 

 Insects in the United States National Museum at Washington, and con- 

 tinued to hold the position till incapacitated by illness. 



In October, 1904, he was elected an "Honorary Member of the Ento- 

 mological Society of Ontario in recognition of his eminence in the science 

 and the valuable contributions that he so constantly made to the pages of 

 the ''Canadian Entomologist." His studies were devoted to the Hymen- 

 optera, and he published many systematic papers on various super-families 

 in the order and described a large number of genera and species. His work 

 was of such a high character that it is regarded as authoritative and has 

 attracted the attention of the leading Entomologist of both Europe and 

 America. One of his completed works is his Monograph of the Proctotry- 

 pidse, a volume of nearly 500 pages published in 1893. Most of his papers 

 are to be found in the Transactions of the American Entomological Society 

 of Philadelphia and in the Canadian Entomologist. 



He received the honourary degree of Doctor of Science from the West- 

 ern University of Pennsylvania and was the recipient of many distinctions 

 from various Entomological Societies. Personally he was esteemed and 

 beloved by all who knew him and there are many who now deplore his loss. 



C. J. S. B. 



