i«75.] 263 



are aware, never completed his medical studies, his taste taking a special turn towards 

 the pursuit of Natural History ; and, as Prof. Westwood (five years his junior) re- 

 marked at the last meeting of the Entomological Society, he was, when a very young 

 man, a fellow pupil (if it may be so called) with Westwood, of llaworth, and 

 helped him to arrange his collection of insects and entomological books. In 1821 he 

 was appointed an assistant in the Zoological Department of the British Museum, 

 of which, in 1840, he became Keeper, — a position which he resigned in December 

 last, having completed fifty years of service. There are probably few men who possess 

 BO varied a knowledge of Natural History as Dr. Q-ray did. It may safely bo asserted 

 that he has published works and papers on every branch (including Botany), and there 

 is no Society in London devoted to the Natural Sciences in which he has not, at some 

 time or other, held a prominent position. It would be probably within the mark if we 

 were to estimate the number of his pubUshed papers at 700 or 800 ; and, although 

 during the past few years he was more or less crippled from recun-ent paralytic attacks, 

 his intellect and love of controversy remained as kecu as ever. That he did much 

 towards rendering our National Collection the richest in material iu the world is 

 undoubted, not unfrequently disbursing from his own pocket, in the first instance, 

 amounts necessary to secure particular specimens or collections desirable for the 

 Museum, trusting to be re-imbursed when there should be sufEcient funds in hand 

 from the annual grant to his department. Perhaps to his peculiar temperament it 

 was due that even towards those who would be the first to acknowledge his great 

 attainments and services to Natural Science, there was sometimes an appearance of 

 a lack of courtesy, and of a desire to rush into violent controversy. To this 

 also we, as entomologists, think is to be attributed the fact, that in spite of remon- 

 strances of the strongest nature, both at home and abroad, he continued to allow 

 (we might almost say command) the issue of such Catalogues as those refeiTcd to in 

 a recent obituary notice in this Magazine. We gladly, however, remember that in 

 addition to his numerous and versatile memoirs on Natui-al History, Dr. Gray 

 has done good and lasting service in the department of periodical literature, 

 more especially as one of the editors of the ' Annals and Magazine,' iu the affairs of 

 which he for a long time took an active part, and in which ho published some of his 

 most valuable papers. His position as Keeper of the Zoological Collection has been 

 filled (as most of our readers probably already know and appreciate) by the elevation 

 of Dr. Q-iinther, who in his turn is replaced as Assistant-Keeper by Mr. Frederick 

 Smith. 



BRITISH iZ-^ilf/Pr^iZ^.— ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS. 

 BY J. W. DOUGLAS. 



EHTPAEOCimOMID^. 



Sc'OLOPOSTETIIUS AFFIXIS. 



Puchymerus njltiis, ScliilL, Beitr., 80, 23 (1829). 



deeoratus, a, llahn, Wanz., i, 139, t. 22, f. 71 (1831). 



Scolopostcthns ajfinh, p. Fiol)., Eur. Ilom., 189, G (ISGl) ; p. D. and S., 

 Brit. Hem., 185, 3 (1805) ; Lotli., Cat, 25 (18G9), id., 2 edit., 20 

 (1874) ; var. i, p. Stal, Oefv. Vet. Ak. Forh., 220, 1 (18G2). 



Lygeem ojfinis, ThouiB., Opusc. Ent., ii, 201, 52 (1870). 



