1878.] 95 



1868—69), so important for the study of the Fabrician species of Hemiptera, founded 

 on his examination of the Fabrician types at Kiel, bears testimony to his talent and 

 assiduity. 



Being charged to work out certain parts of the collections made in Caffraria by 

 the celebrated traveller, P. A. Wahlberg, Still was obliged to devote extensive study 

 to Orders of Insects which till then were the most neglected and unelucidated, 

 namely, the Hemiptera and Orthoptera : a part of the residt is embodied in his 

 " Hemiptera Africana," i— iv, Stockholm, 1864 — 66. He here gave special attention 

 to the systematic classification of these insects, and every one who has been occupied 

 therewith knows how difficult it is to find a clue to this, and can therefore appreciate 

 the extreme merits of Stal in this result of enormous diligent work, and his special 

 talent for such studies. Systematic Natural History is by no means easy ; it requires 

 a sharp eye for the essential characters significant of natural afSnity, and this power 

 of insight, which sometimes must be well nigh inspired, Stal had in the highest 

 degree. If one only considei's the enormous and almost untreated materials he has 

 put in order, he may further observe the value of the principles he has followed, and 

 which are now generally adopted, and cannot estimate his energy and ability too highly. 

 Most of the works of Stal are of a systematic character. His greatest and most 

 significant is his " Enumeratio Hemipterorum," vols, i — v (in K. Vet. Akad. Handl., 

 1870 — 76), in which he has put together the results of all his former investigations 

 which had been published in a multitude of papers, partly in the Ofversigt af K. 

 Vet. Akad, Forhandl., and the Bihang till K. Vet. Akad. Handl., and partly in 

 many foreign entomological journals. In his " Enumeratio " he became convinced 

 of the impossibility of dealing systematically with all the Hemiptera of the world, at 

 least at one time, and he has therefore treated them with respect to the great zoo- 

 logical regions. By this work he has erected for himself a lasting monument. 



He also worked out for the Eiu'opean fauna some systematic sketches of great 

 worth,namely,the"RevisioPentatomidarura,Coreidarum,Lyg8eidarum,Reduviidarum 

 et Tingitidarum Europse," in the Ofversigt K. Vet. Akad. Forhandh, in which is to be 

 admired how, in a brief manner, he laid down a multitude of important characters, 

 which had escaped the attention of others, and on which he has founded an arrange- 

 ment of families and genera of which the naturalness is indeed striking. 



He also devoted similar energy and ability to the Orthoptera, resulting in the 

 "Eecensio Orthopterorum," i — iii (1873 — 76) — a valuable communication concerning 

 the systematic classification of these insects. 



Among his other greater works we must especially mention the "Bidrag till Rio 

 Janeiro traktens Hemipterfauna," i, ii (in X. Vet. Ak. Handl., 1860—62), and his 

 "Monographic des Chrysomelidcs de I'Amerique," i — iii (in Nova Acta Eegia 

 Societatis Scientiarum Upsalensis, 1862—65). His smaller works we must pass by. 



Stal is, without doubt, regarded by all entomologists as the most distinguished 

 Hemipterologist of the present time, not only for the extent but for the solidity of 

 his labours ; and the museum of which he was the chief has now certainly the 

 greatest collection of Hemiptera in the world. 



In private life, Stal was very considerate and obliging ; to manners quite 

 without pretension, he united a warm heart, he was constant in friendship, and, in fine, 



