1922.] 113 



already, so that -we need only refer our readers for a conipU te accouut of it to 

 an admirable "Obituary Notice" of our lamented colleague Avhich appeared 

 in the " British Bee Journal " of October 6, 1921. They will find there a most 

 comprehensive and interesting survey of Sladen's whole career, which has 

 helped the present writer much in preparing the above imperfect sketch of his 

 too short life and his most noteworthy contributions to our knowledge of the 

 "roup on which he specialized with such conspicuous and fruitiul industry. — M. 



Georae Alexander Javtes Rothney, 1849-1922.— G. A. James Rothney, who 

 died on January 31st in his 73rd y(;ar, was a keen entomologist, especially 

 interested in the Aculeate llymenoptera, and one whose broad outlook took in 

 many sides of Jiis favourite science— that of the naturalist pt-rhaps even more 

 than the keen collector and student of systematics ; the artistic side, revealing 

 the setting of the insect world in the whole scheme of nature ; above all, the 

 human and personal, delighting in memories of his scientific comrades. 



■ Where shall we find so fine a picture of Edward Saunders as that given by 

 him in the " Proceedings of the Royal Society " (B. vol. 91, p. xvi) ?— " I can see 

 him now as he was in 1868 to 1870, looking so very young and boyish, but 

 standing up and reading learned papers at the Entomological Society on the 

 Buprestidae, listened to and holding his own with the giants of those days." 

 And then memories of his later years and home-life, and the conclusion :— 

 " lie was the kindest helper and friend that anyone could have." One thinks, 

 too, of Rothney 's pleasure in recovering and placing near his own in the Mope 

 Museum at Oxford, a collection recalling, as he wrote, " a memory of good, 

 cheery old Fredk. Smith, one of the dearest and most interesting of men." 



The naturalist and artistic sides of his nature are evident in his graphic 

 story of a tremendous flight of Winged Termites at Barrackpore— " a real 

 'Brock's beneHt' in White Ants," and in the delightful "picture-memories" 

 recorded in this Magazine (1920, p. 175), memories which, as he said, '• 1 love 

 to dwell upon now my collecting days are over." 



Rothney 's great collection of Oriental Acideata was begun in 1872, the 

 year when he sailed to the East in the service of 0. W. Scott & Co., merchants, 

 of Calcutta, soon to become John Dickinson & Co. His own captures were 

 chiefly made in Barrackpore Park near his house, also in Calcutta, Mussoorie, 

 Allahabad, and N. W. P. The collection is also rich in specimens from other 

 famous entomologists— Bates, Bingham, Cameron, Forel, and F. Smith, and 

 includes a very fine series taken by natives in the Khasia Hills, Assam, and 

 extremely rich in types of new species not only among the Amleata but also 

 the PhytopJuKja and Parasitica. The ants, which are a special feature, include 

 species from many other parts of the world. Together with this splendid col- 

 lection in its cabinet he presented nearly 100 volumes and numbers of unbound 

 separata, forming a library of the Oriental Hymenoptera, including all publi- 

 cations concerned with the Rothney collection, also 34 volumes of his own 

 papers, correspondence, and notes, chiefly on Indian llymenoptera and Lepi- 

 doptera. He also presented his own series of the Trans. Ent. Soc. Loud., dating 

 from 1868, the year of his election, and arranged for its continuance and uniform 

 binding imtil the end of 1922. " 1868-1922 inclusive is a pretty good show " 



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