240 [November, 



plentifully, and to breed it from the larvfc. It is somewliat curious tliat, feeding 

 also on the Impatiens at the same place, Pastor Fuclis found the larvae of balsam- 

 inata, which Guenee considers only a var. of silaceata, and which precedes tliat 

 species in Staudinger's catalogue. Wlien the larra of reticulata really becomes 

 known in this country, southern entomologists will no doubt try it with Impatiens 

 fulva, now becoming so common on the banks of the tributaries of the Thames ; and 

 perhaps it might not even refuse garden balsam. — Eds. 



Emmelesia ttnifasciata three years in the pupa state. — In September, 1871, I 

 collected a considerable quantity of the larvse of JEmmelesia unlfasciata off Barlsia 

 odontites. A few of the moths made their appearance in 1872, the greater number 

 ajipearcd in 1873, and the remainder, eight or ten specimens, emerged tliis season, 

 having been three years in the pupa state. — A. H. Jones, Shrublauds, Eltham : S^A 

 October, 1874. 



6bitu;trn. 



Francis Walker. More than twenty years too late for his scientific reputation, 

 and after having done an amount of injury to entomology almost inconceivable in its 

 immensity, Francis Walker has passed from among us. More than forty years ago, he 

 became prominently known as an entomologist through his monograph of the minute 

 parasitic insects of the family Chalcididce. This was originally published in the old 

 ' Entomological Magazine ' with which Walker was closely connected. 



Whatever shortcomings time may have proved to exist in that monograph, it 

 marked an era in the study of its subject, and, as coming from the brain and 

 pen of quite a young man, gave reasonable promise of a brilliant future. And 

 its author never seemed to have forgotten his first love : he continued to pub- 

 lish on the grovip, and almost his latest productions, written at a time when his 

 entomological reputation was worn to shreds, were on the Chalcididce. Next to 

 these insects, the Diptera and Aphididcs seem at one time to have engaged hij special 

 attention ; and he was the nominal author of the three volumes on Diptera fonning 

 part of the ' Insccta Britannica ' scries, though the universal verdict of Dipterists 

 accords most of the merit of this work to the part actually written by Haliday. 



This latter publication brings us to the commencement of the second half of 

 the present century, about which time Walker, in an unlucky moment, was induced 

 to commence the series of British Museum Catalogues, that, associated with his 

 name, have become objects of dei'ision to all conscientious entomologists. As time 

 wore on, volume after volume of these Catalogues appeared in a continuous stream, 

 and almost on every order of insects, Coleoptera excepted (coleopterists have probably 

 had their share of Walkers under other names). As compilations they are remarkable 

 proofs, not only of the plodding industry, but also of the great amount of biblio- 

 graphical research exhibited in them ; and had Walker been content to leave them 

 as compilations, they would have been regarded as blessings by all. But, essay- 

 ing to do that which is beyond the power of any individual, he set to work to 

 ' describe ' in all orders, and multitudes of both generic and specific names are 

 attributable to him. The result was what might have been expected. The work 

 was done mechanically : ' New genera and species ' were erected in the most reckless 

 manner, and instances are on record in which individuals of one and the same species 

 have been proved to have been made by liim to do duty luulcr several generic (and 



