1914.] 157 



ttuarg. 



The Rev. Edwin Newson Bloomfield, M.A. — The veteran Rector of Guestling 

 Sussex, recently passed away at the Rectory after a short illness in his 87th 

 year. Born in Suffolk on Sept. 25th, 1827, he began to take an interest in 

 Natural History when quite a boy, being attracted chiefly to botany and geology. 

 In October, 1846, he went to college, and after graduating remained at Cambridge 

 till 1863. During these years he had the privilege of admission to the Ray 

 Club, a small Natural History Society, which met once a week and consisted of 

 twelve members and six associates, and in this way he came into close touch 

 with many distinguished scientific men. His principal interest at this time was 

 in botany and geology, and he contributed largely to Henslow and Skepper's 

 " Flora of Suffolk," published in 1860. Leaving Cambridge in 1863, he became 

 rector of Guestling, near Hastings, a position which he held till his death. 

 At this place he took up the study of Lepidoptera, and for this the extensive 

 woods in close proximity to the Rectory gave him exceptional opportunities. 

 In 1876, in conjunction with the writer and several other local naturalists he 

 entered enthusiastically into the scheme for publishing catalogues of the flora 

 and fauna of the Hastings district. The original list, published in 1878, was 

 followed at intervals by three supplements. Since 1898, further additions have 

 been annually recorded in the " Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist," his last 

 contribution being published in April of the present year. He also paid a good 

 deal of attention to British Diptera, and contributed largely to the compilation 

 of lists of the flora and fauna of Norfolk and Suffolk, himself publishing a 

 good list of the Suffolk Lepidoptera. He joined the Entomological Society of 

 London in 1886. His was a most genial character ; he rejoiced in the successes 

 of others, and was always ready to place his large stores of knowledge at tVio 

 disposal of any who needed such help. He was never married. — E. A. 



Societies. 



Yorkshire Naturalists' Union .- Entomological Section.— On the 

 kind invitation of Professor W. Garstang, M.A., F.Z.S., a large number of the 

 members of the Entomological Section of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union 

 visited the Leeds University on March 21st last, the special object being to 

 examine the very fine collection of Exotic and European Lepidoptera formed 

 by the late Mr. A. H. Clarke, which had been presented to the Leeds University 

 Museum. The Collections were studied with great interest and admiration so 

 long as daylight allowed, after which the members were most hospitably enter- 

 tained to tea by the President of the Section, Dr. E. O. Croft. In the evening 

 a meeting was held in the University, when two papers were read : the first, by 

 Professor Garstang, on " Mimicry in Lepidoptera," illustrated by a large number 

 of specimens ; the other, by Mr. B. Morley, on " the effects of four years 

 defoliation of trees in West Yorkshire woods by larvae of the Hybernidse." Both 

 papers were of great interest, and created a good deal of discussion among the 

 members. Afterwards, Mr. W. D. Roebuck introduced the subject of " Nature 



