1879.] 119 



In 1876, Sir Thomas suffered from a bad attack of dysentery, and since then he 

 had frequently been more or less ailing, but so iate as the end of last June he was 

 actively entomologising in Grlen Tilt, having gone there" in search of health and insects," 

 and made there several captui'es of more than ordinary interest. 



One resident in Perth has testified that Sir Thomas was " ever ready to help his 

 " friends to the utmost of his ability, his kindly and genial manner endeared him to 

 " every one who knew him, and his popularity even amongst those opposed to him in 

 " politics (in which he took a very active interest), was deservedly great." — H. T. S. 



William Wilson Saunders died at his residence, Eaystead, Worthing, on the 

 13th September, after a very short illness. He was the second son of the Rev. James 

 Saunders, Yicar of Xirklington, near Oxford, and was born on the 4th June, 1809, 

 at Little London, near Wendover, Buckinghamshire. Having completed his educa- 

 tion at Addiscombe, he passed as an officer of Engineers, and proceeded to 

 India in or about the year 1830, but soon quitted the army, returned to England, 

 and married. He settled at East Hill, Wandsworth, and commenced business 

 as an underwriter, in which, for very many years, he was so pre-eminently suc- 

 cessful that for a long time he was regarded as the chief authority amongst his 

 colleagues at " Lloyds'," of the Committee of which he was long chairman. 

 Yery few years after his return from India, the Entomological Society of London 

 began its existence. Mr. Saunders was one of the 101 "original" members,* 

 and his first entomological j^aper — " On the habits of some Indian insects " 

 — was read at the meeting of the Society on April 7th, 1834, and was published 

 in vol. i of the " Transactions," pp. 60-66. Several of his succeeding papers 

 were also on Indian insects, proving that the powers of observation, afterwards 

 so largely developed in him, were put to good service during his short sojourn in 

 India. In the welfare of the Entomological Society he always took the warmest 

 interest ; there are many of us who remember with pleasure those annual excursions 

 at Reigate (he having removed to that town in 1857), to which the members of the 

 Society and other friends were invited, and it was on these occasions that his great 

 general knowledge of entomology and botany especially showed itself in the field. 

 Considering his long life, his published papers were not numerous, those on Ento- 

 mology not exceeding thirty. Yet but few men have more contributed to the 

 advancement of both entomology and botany. The constant demands upon his 

 time entailed by a busy business life, and by liis official connection with most of our 

 scientific societies, rendered impossible the undertaking of long scientific researches, 

 notwithstanding his persistent energy, which was remarkable. As a patron of 

 natural science, he was perhaps unequalled. It was mainly owing to his liberality 

 that for very many years collectors abroad were enabled to commence and continue 

 their researches. He himself accumulated vast collections from these sources, not only 

 of insects, but also of plants, for his grounds at Reigate became noted as tlie place 

 where numerous exotic plants could alone be seen in cultivation in this country ; 

 and at all times he sought to render his materials available for study. Many of the 

 insects were described in the " Insecta Saundcrsiana," which he edited, and the 

 illustrations in the earlier parts of Hewitson's " Exotic Butterflies " were largely 

 drawn from specimens in his cabinets (as is acknowledged in that work). In botany 

 he edited a publication known as the " Refugium Botanicum," in wliich are described 

 and illustrated very many plants that to this day would otherwise have been less 

 perfectly known. Also (with Mr. W. Gr. Smith) he edited two thick parts (1871 

 and 1872) of a work on British Hymenomycetous Eungi, many of the illustrations 

 * Of these only seven now remain on the list. 



