97 



decided, much against the wishes of his parents, to adopt the professional 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 appearance 

 in the east, at Boston, and finally in 1879 he came to New York. In 1889-90 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 considered 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 ^geriada?, of which family he described 

 nearly all our American species. Besides these papers he has also written many other 

 articles on descriptions of new species and transformations 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 Lepi- 

 doptera," 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 study. His travels afforded him many rare opportunities for collect- 

 ing 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 Noctuidaj and Pyralidae, 

 and many of Fish's types of Pterophorid;e, and types of other writers. It contains also 

 the unique pair of Oniticelhis californicus, and many other uniques, oddities and rareties 

 of considerable value. The collection is one of the largest private collections in the 

 world. His library consists of about five hundred voiumes of entomological works, and 

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

 other topics. (1 am not sui-e about these figures.) 



Mr. Edwards belonged to many scientific and other societies. He was for some time 

 vice-president 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), corresponding member Boston Society Natural History, San Fran- 

 cisco Microscopical Society, 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 condol- 

 ence and sympathy and heart-felt regret to her irreparable bereavement. 



Wm. Beutenmuller. 



BOOK NOTICES. 

 Insecta : By Alpheus Hyatt and J. N. Arms. Boston : D. J. Heath & Co. 



This handy volume forms the eighth of the series of the " Guides for Science Teach- 

 ing," issued by these well known publishers of educational works. The series is intended 

 for the use of teachers who wish to give practical instruction to their classes in Natural 

 History. The volume before us forms a marked advance upon those previously issued, 

 inasmuch as it consists of 300 pages, with over 200 illustrations, while none of the others 

 was more than a fourth of these dimensions. This great enlargement is due, no doubt, 

 to the growing popularity of Entomology as a subject for the teaching of observation in 

 schools, as well as for intelligent recreation and serious study on the part of individuals. 



The volume before us is an admirable manual for teachers who wish to instruct their 

 pupils in the science of Entomology, and will be found most useful also by private stu- 

 7 (en.) 



