1916.] 209 



Roland Trimen, 31. A., F.R.S., died on July 2oth, after a long period of 

 failing health, in his 76th year, having been born at Paddington on Oct. 29th, 

 1840. He was educated at King's College School, and his entomological studies 

 must have commenced at a very early age^ as we find him contributing notes 

 on Lepidoptera in 1856 to the first volume of the "Entomologist's Weekly 

 Intelligencer," and in stibsequent volumes describing his " doings " at Dorking 

 and elsewhere with the geniality and fresh humoiir so conspicuous in the man 

 in later years. In 1860 he entered the Civil Service of Cape Colony, and began 

 at once to study with energy the insect fauna of that productive but then 

 imperfectly known region. The first result of his researches was the publica- 

 tion of the very tiseful and well illustrated little volume, " Ehopalocera Airicae 

 Australis " (London and Cape Town, 1862^1866), subsequently expanded, with 

 the assistance of his friend Col. J. H. Bowker, into " South African Butterflies " 

 (3 vols., London, 1887-1889). This fine work, which embodies a great store of 

 descriptions of the habits and life-histories of the Diurnal Lepidoptera of the 

 region south of the Zambesi, written with the author's characteristic lucidity 

 and grace of style, remains the standard authority on the subject. His sole 

 contribution to the pages of this Magazine (Vol. IV, pp. 212-223) belong to this 

 early period, and is a masterly pictiu-e of the " Aspects of Insect Life in South- 

 Eastern Africa." 



His most important item of scientific work is without doubt the paper read 

 before the Linnean Society on March 4th, 1868, and published in the volume of 

 " Transactions " for 1869 (pp. 497 et seq.) on the Mimetic relations of the female 

 Papilio mcrope (dardanus) with other South African butterflies. This is now 

 recognised as being by far the most striking and elaborate of all cases of 

 mimicry and polymorphism in Lepidoptera, and has been fully established by 

 extensive and repeated breeding of the species, though at the time of publica- 

 tion regarded with doubt — not to say ridicule — by many Lepidopterists of 

 eminence. 



In 1873 Mr. Trimen was appointed Curator of the South African Museiim 

 at Cape Town, in succession to Mr. E. L. Layard. During the long period that 

 he held this important post he visited England on leave on several occasions, 

 finally resigning in 1895 and returning home on account of failing health. 



He joined the Entomological Society in 1859, being at the time of his 

 decease the thii-d in order of seniority on its List of Fellows. He sat on the 

 Council in 1868, 1881, and 1890, and occupied the Presidential chair in 1897 

 and 1898 ; his annual addresses, on the su.bjects of " Mimicry," and " Seasonal 

 Variation," being of special interest and value. In 1883 he was elected a 

 Fellow of the Royal Society, and received in 1910 the high distinction of the 

 Darwin Medal. The University of Oxford also conferred on him the degree 

 of M.A., honoris causa in 1899. 



Few men were more highly and deservedly esteemed in life, or are more 

 deeply regretted in death by his wide circle of friends and colleagues, than 



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