i8'.»7.] 259 



contemporary of Stephens and Curtis, and other leading entomologists of the time, 

 and he was brought up from ehildhood with a taste for ornithology and entomology. 

 In 1833 he entered at Lincoln College, Oxford; after taking. his degree he was 

 ordained by the Bishop of Oxford to the Curacy of Middleton Stoney in Oxford- 

 shire, and in 1853 he was presented to the living of Gumley. In 1860 he married 

 the daughter of Mr. John Dodd. 



Before the death of his brother (the Rev. Henry Matthews, to whom he was 

 much attached) he did a great deal of ornithological and entomological work in 

 conjunction with him, and in 1849 the two brothers published "The History of the 

 Birds of Oxfordshire and its neighbourhood." It was, however, towards entomology 

 that Andrew Matthews had always had a special bent, and like most others, he 

 appears to have been first attracted towards Lepidoptera. The writer of this notice 

 remembers his relating the story of his purchasing a whole boxful of Chrysophanus 

 dispar, taken in Yaxley Fen, at a halfpenny a piece, and how some years after, 

 hearing that they were fast becoming valuable, he bethought him of his store, and 

 on examining the box found them all devoured except one or two, which he gave to 

 his informant ; fortunately, however, the magnificent series in his own collection, 

 together with many other rare Lepidoptera, are yet intact. 



The Coleoptera, however, always had the greatest attraction for him, and at a 

 time when the smaller beetles were almost entirely neglected, he took up the 

 minutest group of all, the Trichopteryffidcp, and studied them thoroughly; the result 

 was the appearance in 1872 of his chief work, " Trichopterygia lUustrata," a quarto 

 volume, illustrated by his own most carefully executed drawings, iu which the full 

 anatomy is given in detail, as well as figures of the various species. His other works 

 have been the following : — " An Essay on the British species of the genus MyllcEna," 

 published in the Cistula Entomologica ; "A Synopsis of European Trichopterygidm," 

 which appeared in L'Abeille; and "A Synopsis of North American TriehopterygidcB:" 

 he also published a Catalogue of British Coleoptera in conjunction with the writer 

 of this notice. In 1888 he was engaged in a description of the TriehopterygidcB of 

 Central America for the Biologia Centrali- Americana, and in his 80th year he com- 

 pleted a second volume of his " Trichopterygia lUustrata," fully illustrated, as the 

 first volume was, by his own hand from microscopical dissections. The MSS. and 

 drawings are now in the hands of Mr. P. B. Mason, of Burton-on-Trent, and it is 

 hoped that they may soon be published. 



While collecting material for his work on the TriehopterygidcB in Sherwood 

 Forest and elsewhere, Mr. Matthews found a large number of very rare beetles, some 

 of which, such as Flegaderus dissectus, several species of Euplectus, and some of the 

 Lathridiidce, had hardly ever been taken before in England. 



Besides being an entomologist and ornithologist, Mr. Matthews was an excellejit 

 amateur horticulturist, and for years exhibited at the Botanical and Horticultural 

 Societies in London, often carrying off first class certificates. 



While speaking of him, however, from other points of view, we must not forget 

 that he never allowed his scientific work to interfere with his work in the parish; 

 his Church was beautifully kept up, and the services would have done credit to many 

 a town Church ; by his parishioners he was much beloved and respected. / ■ — 



But for his retiring disposition, much more would have been heard of him, but 



Y 2 



