248 THE entomologists' S RECORD. 



time he wrote : " The unavoidable retirement of my friend Dr. 

 Knaggs, having caused a vacancy in the joint editorship of this maga- 

 zine, and it having been represented to me that I could not better 

 serve the cause of entomology than by taking his place, I cannot 

 resist the solicitations of my friends to occupy the position of a mem- 

 ber of the quadruple alliance. Like Cincinnatus, I had retired from 

 active duty ; recalled, I return to it, not like him as a dictator, but as 

 a coworker in the field I love — corde et manu." 



For thirty years longer he has remained at his post. Although his 

 earlier work was among the lepidoptera, and his revision of the 

 Gelechiids is still considered one of the most important brochures on 

 the subject, his chief study has, during the latter part of his life, been 

 the Hemiptera, but a few years ago failing health led him to hand 

 over his splendid special library of works on this order to the Entomo- 

 logical Society of London. None of the old school to which Douglas 

 belonged between ISBO and 1840 are, we believe, now left. Comparatively 

 few of those who joined the active ranks between 1840 and 1860 now 

 remain. Still there are some, and many of these are living witnesses 

 to the younger men, that age has little to do with virility, that men 

 are yet only as old as they feel, and that the best work in the country 

 is still largely the product of the nestors who remember the publication 

 of Stainton in parts, and who found week by week their entomological 

 heaven as each part came to hand. An excellent entomologist and a 

 kind-hearted and s^enerous man has sone from amonar us. 



William Johnson. Died August 16th, 1905. 

 It is with very much regret that I have to announce the death, in 

 his 90th year, of my valued and venerable friend Mr. W. Johnson, 

 who passed away on August 6th, at his residence at Wigan. About 

 fifty or sixty years ago there existed in Lancashire and Cheshire a 

 well known and enthusiastic band of entomologists, amongst whom 

 were W. Johnson, Nicholas Cooke, Benjamin Cooke, C. S. Gregson, 

 N. Greening, J. B. Hodgkinson, etc. Mr. Johnson was one of the 

 eleven who met at my house on February 24th, 1877, when the Lan- 

 cashire and Cheshire Entomological Society was founded. He always 

 took a deep interest in the society, and was a regular attendant at the 

 meetings, and, on his removal to Wigan, in 1889, he was honoured by 

 being appointed an honorary member. Mr. Johnson was thorough in 

 everything he undertook, and was devoted to his work, being for 30 

 years employed in the engineering department of the IMersey Dock 

 and Harbour Board, from whom he was in receipt of a pension up to 

 the time of his death. Mr. Johnson leaves behind him a collection of 

 lepidoptera, which is now for sale. Amongst a number of interesting 

 specimens is one of Kromene ocellea, which is one of the three recorded 

 by Mr. Barrett, as captured near Liverpool, and which I believe was 

 taken by himself. — Samuel James Capper, Huyton Park. Auqust 23?v/, 

 1905. 



Erratum. — Page 211 line 10, for " tinted blues " read " tailed blues." — 0. P. 

 Cambridge. 



