144 THE entomologist's record. 



finally decided, much against the wishes of his parents, to adopt the 

 l)rofessional stage. In 1853 he embarked for Australia, where he made 

 his first appearance as an actor, and where he passed many prosperous 

 years. From Australia he drifted to Peru and Panama, and in 1867 he 

 reached San Francisco, California. In about 1877 he made his first 

 api earance in the east, at Boston, and finally in 1879 he came to New 

 York In 1889-1890 he again visited his old home in Australia, from 

 where he returned last year. During all these years he was constantly 

 connected with the stage, until only a short time previous to his decease, 

 when he was compelled to retire on account of his illness. At the time 

 of his death he had just returned from a trip to the Catskill Mountains, 

 where he was staying for his health, and three and a half hours later he 

 entered into rest and the everlasting silence. 



As an entomologist Mr. Edwards was world-known, and was con- 

 sidered one of the greatest authorities of the science, to which he was 

 attached ever since his boyhood days. He was chiefly known by his 

 excellent papers on the Pacific Coast Lepidoptera, which contain the 

 descriptions of many new and interesting species from that region. He 

 was also known by his articles on North American .4igeriadce, of which 

 family he described nearly all our American species. Besides these 

 papers he has also written many other articles 6n descriptions of new 

 species and transformation of Lepidoptera. He also edited three 

 volumes of the journal Papilio The last large work he published 

 was his Bibliographical Catalogue of the Described Transformations of 

 North American Lepidoptera, which is now in the hands of all our 

 working entomologists. 



Mr. Edwards spent much money for the increase of his collection of 

 insects, and devoted all his leisure time to his favourite stuiiy. His 

 travels afforded him many rare opportunities for collecting material for 

 his collection and writings. The collection consists of about 300,000 

 specimens of insects of all the orders from all parts of the globe. It 

 contains the types of all the species he described, about four hundred 

 and fifty, except a few which are in other collections. It also contains 

 a number of Grote's types of Noctuidas and Pyralidas, and many of 

 Fish's types of Pterophorid^, and types of other writers. It contains 

 the unique pair of Oniticelliis calif or?iiciiS, and also many other uniques, 

 oddities, and rarities of considerable value. The collection is one of 

 the largest private collections in the world His library consists of 

 about five hundred volumes of entomological works, and about double 

 the number of pamphlets, and about two thousand volumes on travels 

 and other topics (I am not sure about these figures). 



Mr. Edwards belonged to many scientific and other societies. He 

 was for some time vice-|)resident of the California Academy of Sciences, 

 life-member Brooklyn Entomological Society, member of the Torrey 

 Botanical Club, Players' Club (New York), Bohemian Club (San 

 Francisco), San Francisco Microscopical Society, corres;ionding member 

 Boston Society (Natural History), San Diego Natural History Society, 

 Belgium Natural History Society, etc. 



He leaves a widow who deeply mourns his loss, and we would here 

 add our condolence, sympathy, and heartfelt regret for her irreparable 

 bereavement. — Wm. Beutenmuller, New York, jitne i^th, 1891. 

 (From the Canadian Entomologist, July, 1891.) 



