7() [August, 



tide zoolofj'.Ht. As a British Lepidoptorist, the iiamc ol' Henry Doubleday hsis become 

 ft household word. What was pi'obably liis first printed eommunication appeared in 

 tlic 'Entomologist' in 1811, detailing his wonderful success in capturing NoctucB at 

 the blossoms of sallows, at that time a novel procedure. Very soon afterwards, in 

 1812, he introduced the now familiar plan of 'sugaring,' the first captures by that 

 means recorded being two specimens of Folia occulta, whicli appears both in the 

 ' Entomologist,' p. 407, and in the ' Zoologist,' vol. i, p. 30 ; a list of captures at 

 sugar in the autumn of 1842 appearing in the same volume of the ' Zoologist,' p. 201. 

 One consequence was that our cabinets soon became full of species of Noctuce that 

 had hitherto been reputed rarities. In 1843 occurred what may be considered 

 the great event of his life, one that had an especial influence upon Ljpidopterology in 

 this country. lie then visited Paris, and it was probably the only time he ever quitted 

 England. He found that the nomenclature in use here and on the continent of 

 Europe was utterly different, and, after calling attention to the subject in a ' Note on 

 the names of British moths,' in the ' Zoologist,' vol. i, p. 332, he at once set to work- 

 to annihilate native traditions and prejudices by publishing a catalogue of British 

 Lepidoptera (then not including the Tinelnd) in which attempts were made to make 

 it possible that English Lepidopterists might be understood by their brethren on 

 the continent. It is needless to say that ' Doubleday's List ' has since gone througli 

 several editions, and, though scarcely more than a label-list, has been of the greatest 

 possible service. 



As a writer, Henry Doubleday was not prolific. Outside his list he never pub- 

 lished any lengthy work, though his communications to entomological jJt^riodicals 

 were very numerous, principally on points of habit. But, nevei-theless, his corres- 

 pondence with Lepidopterists, both at home and on the continent, was very extensive. 

 His liberality in supplying both specimens and information was unbounded ; and 

 no better tribute to his memory can exist thaii the few words used by Guenee, in the 

 introduction to his ' Uranides et Phalenites,' who, in thanking those entomologists 

 wlio had aided him, says : — " Lastly, I cannot resist the pleasure of closing this list 

 " by a name tliat I know not how to repeat too often, that of my excellent and useful 

 " friend llcnry Doubleday of Epping, who seems to have devoted to my work, a)id 

 " even to the enriching of my collection, a more active zeal than that used by many 

 " others in their own interests." 



Although we are principally concerned with Doubleday as an entomologist, still 

 it would not be just to pass unnoticed his attainments as a general naturalist, and 

 especially as an ornithologist. There are few who have so thorough a knowledge of 

 British Birds as that possessed by him, and his name constantly occurs in the works 

 of YarrcU and others in connection w'lth habits, migration, nesting, &c. 



His private life was marked by extreme simplicity, in an even too great a degree 

 for material interests. For nearly ten years he had been entirely out of business, 

 living, as he always had done, almost in seclusion, varied by the visit to Epping of 

 some brother Entomologist atti-acted by the fame of his wonderfiU collection, and 

 a desire to make the personal acquaintance of a man of whom so much was said, and 

 who was so universally known by correspondence. His chief amusement was 

 gardenine, and especially strawberry culture, in which he excelled ; and we shrewdly 

 suspect that some of his numerous friends coutrived to Ci the period of their visits 

 in the strawberry season. 



