88 



species his way will be fairly easy, but without it the investigation will be sadly difficult,, 

 if not hopeless. Another very serious defect in the book is the entire absence of all 

 reference to the preparatory stages of the insects, and consequently to their food-plants, 

 habits, dates of appearance, etc. We trust that the author may be enabled to it>siie a. 

 second edition of the work, and make it a thorough and complete " manual " by 

 remedying the defects we have referred to. That this may be done in a concise form 

 and in a most useful manner is admirably proved by Stainton's " Manual of British 

 Moths and Butterflies," which we would commend to our author as a model for imitation, 

 when he enters upon the preparation of his next edition. C. J. S. B. 



OBITUARY. 



The Abb6 Provanoher. 



It is our painful duty to record the death, in his 72nd year, of the Abbd Ldorb 

 Provancher, who for many years, despite great discouragements and disadvantages,, 

 laboured zealously a ad assiduously to develop and disseminate a knowledge of the 

 natural history of Canada, and especially of his native province. He was born in 1820> 

 at Becancour, Que., and for some years was Oure of Portneuf, and one of his earlier 

 entomological writings was a list of the Coleoptera of that district. Compelled by 

 enfeebled health to relinquish the regular and more active duties of the ministry, he- 

 removed to Cap Kouge, near Quebec, and devoted his remaining time and strength, 

 almost entirely to the study of the natural sciences. In 1869 he commenced the 

 publication of the Naturaliite Canadien, and, notwithstanding many discouragements,, 

 completed in 1891 the 20th volume, when its issue had reluctantly to be abandoned 

 through the Quebec Government refusing to continue the scanty annual grant it had 

 received. As early as 1858 Provancher published an elementary treatise on botany, 

 and in 1862 his Flore du Canada. Subsequently he devoted his attention specially to- 

 entomology, and in 1874 commenced his Faune Entomologique du Canada — Vol. I., 

 treating of the Coleoptera, was completed in 1877, with three supplements in 1877, 

 1878 and 1879. Vol. II. was commenced in 1877 and completed in 1883, and contains, 

 the Orthoptera, Neuroptera, and Hymenoptera. In 1885-1889 he published Additions, 

 aux Hymeno[.tere8, and issued Vol. III. upon the Hemiptera, which was completed in 

 1890. He was also an enthusiastic conchologist, and his last publication was a treatise 

 upon the univalve molluscs of the Province of Quebec. His writings include the account 

 of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, an excursion to the West Indies, treatises on agriculture, 

 etc. He will be best known, however, by his entomological work, and as he described 

 a large number of new species and genera, particularly of. the Hymenoptera and 

 Hemiptera, it is sincerely to be hoped that his collections may be placed where the types 

 will be carefully preserved and be accessible to students of entomology. There is a. 

 disposition on the part of some American students to ignore the work of Provancher, 

 and to accuse him of want of care, etc., in the determination of genera and species. 

 The enormous disadvantages under which he labored must, however, be considered,, 

 for he was remote and isolated from libraries, collections and fellow-worker-*, and in his 

 writings he often laments the fact that so few could be found to take any active interest 

 in his pursuits, or to assist him in his labors. His entomologictl work would have been 

 more exact and complete had not the publication of th-3 JVaUcndiste greatly interrupted 

 his investigations, and forced him to spend much of his time in other directions. His 

 labors had the result of starting natural history collections in some of the colleges in tlie 

 Province of Quebec, but our French citizens do not appear to have any special leaning to the 

 sciences he loved, and he has left behind him no entomological student of any distinction. 

 Above all, Provancher was an ardent Canadian, strongly imbued with love of his rac ^ 

 language and religion, and often in his writings he impresses these sentiments upon his 

 readers. A few years ago he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, andi 

 he was also a member, active or honorary, of many other societies. W. H. H. 



