90 i^^''P"^' 



at the latter place on one hot summer day he caught a fine specimen of Vanessa lo, 

 and tlie possession of this beautiful butterfly seems to have stirred him to take up 

 the study of insect life and to form a collection. A few years later he turned his 

 attention to the Coleoptera, and although he worked at various Orders of insects, 

 besides land and fresh water shells, and all kinds of microscopical objects, he always 

 made the beetles his principal study ; no collector could be keener, and he had an 

 unerring eye for a good locality. His methods wei-e very like those of the late Dr. 

 Power, and, like him, when he once found a rare beetle he never rested until he had 

 discovered its habits and secured a considerable series ; in one small mossy bank 

 near Knowle he took no less than four hundred and twelve species, or nearly one- 

 eighth of the whole British Coleoptera {cf. Ent. Mo. Mag., xxvi, 35), and he was 

 instrumental in adding several new species to the British lists, one or two of these 

 being new to science. The writer of the present notice has collected with him on 

 two or three occasions, and has the most pleasant recollections of the time spent in 

 his company. He was especially good at collecting and determining Homalotce and 

 small Staphylinida, and enriched the Midland list with a large number of records 

 in this obscure group of insects. Most of his captures will be found recorded in 

 the pages of this Magazine, and the long lists of rare species of themselves prove 

 him to have been a most indefatigable worker. Although, as has been stated, he 

 received a very poor education as a boy, he was extremely fond of books, and 

 possessing a most retentive memory, he was able to instruct himself sufficiently in 

 Latin and other languages to understand the scientific books connected with his 

 favourite subject. 



On the foundation, some thirty-two years ago, of tiie Midland Counties Idiot 

 Asylum, he was appointed Secretary, and held that post, combined with the office of 

 Superintendent, until his death. He was greatly interested in idiocy, and had studied 

 the subject, as far as possible, from all available writings, and did his best to make 

 the Hves of the afflicted patients who became inmates of the Knowle Asylum as 

 happy as possible. About twelve years ago, in conjunction with Mr. R. C. Bradley, 

 Mr. Colbran J. Wainwriglit, and a few others, he founded the Birmingham Entomo- 

 logical Society, of which lie became President, and continued such for five years ; 

 before that time he had been an active Member of the Birmingham Natural History 

 and Microscopical Society, of which he was, for one year at least, a Vice-President. 

 In 1890 lie was elected a Fellow of the Entomological Society of London. 



From his youth he had been a great sufferer from indigestion, caused bj' his 

 going without proper food in order that he miglit buy books for his studies, and this 

 seems to have injured his constitution: having almost completely run down, and 

 being reduced to little more than a skeleton, he consented to an operation as a last 

 resource, and though every effort was made, the cause of the trouble was not dis- 

 covered or removed, and he died seventeen days after it had taken place. He left 

 no instructions as to the disposal of his large and excellent collections, which his 

 family are endeavouring to dispose of for the benefit of his widow, who is unfortu- 

 nately left practically unprovided for. — W. W. F. 



Dr. Ottmar Hofmann. — To our great regret we have received from the Natural 

 History Society of Regensburg, of which he was Director, news of the death, on 

 February 22nd, of Dr. O. Hofmann, the well-known Micro-Lepidopterist. A more 

 detailed notice will appear in due course. 



