92 [April, 



(©bttuanj. 



Herbert Goss.— It is with sincere regret that we announce the decease of this 

 well-known Entomologist, after a long period of failing health, at his residence at 

 Surbiton Hill, Surrey, on February 16th. He had only recently (June, 1906) 

 retired from the Solicitor's Department of the General Post Office, in which 

 he had served for nearly 35 years, and had attained to almost the highest rank. 

 From a very early age he manifested a great interest in various branches of Natural 

 History, especially in the study of our native Lepidoptera ; of these he formed an 

 exceedingly fine and representative colled ion, which he continued to add to and to 

 work at up to the last. The kindred studies of Botany and Geology were also 

 pursued by him with characteristic vigour and keenness, his herbarium of British 

 plants being very full and complete ; and in connection with the last-named science 

 he contributed a very interesting series of "Introductory Papers on Fossil Entomo- 

 logy " to vols. xV and xvi of our Magazine. These have since been reprinted (19 JO) 

 under the title of " The Geological Antiquity of Insects," and form a very valuable 

 resume of our knowledge on this important branch of Geological science. The En- 

 tomological sections of most volumes of the " Victoria History of the Counties of 

 England" that have as yet appeared were edited by Mr. Goss, who himself contri- 

 buted very full and valuable accounts of the Lepidoptera of several of the Counties 

 dealt with. It is, however, in his connection with the Entomological Society of 

 London that his name will be best remembered and most honoured. Elected a 

 Fellow of the Society in 1874, he first served on the Council in 1885 ; in the following 

 year he became Secretary, and occupied that important office for the unprecedented 

 period of eleven years without a break. He resigned in 1897, but again accepted 

 the Secretaryship from 1901 to 1905, when he finally vacated the post in favour of 

 the writer of this notice ; in 1906 he was one of the Vice-Presidents of the Society. 

 Throughout this long period of fifteen years in all, his tenure of office was marked 

 by conspicuous zeal, tact, and ability ; and the leading and unselfish part which he 

 took when in 1892 he represented the Society in the successful agitation against 

 the proposed spoliation of the New Forest, will not fail to preserve his name in 

 grateful memory with all Naturalists and lovers of our grandest piece of sylvan 

 scenery. Mr. Goss, who was also a Fellow of the Linnean and Geological Societies, 

 was a man of high culture and wide and varied attainments, a brilliant pianist 

 in his younger days, and possessing an extensive knowledge of the history of music 

 and musical instruments, to the literature of which he contributed several papers 

 of great interest. His death at a comparatively early age leaves a gap in our 

 ranks which will not be readily filled. — J. J. W. 



Sortjjttijs. 



Bihmingiiam Entomological Society: February \&th, 1908. — Annual 

 Meeting. 



At this Meeting, after the usual annual reports, &c, a resolution was passed to 

 dissolve the Society, and to hand over its assets, &c, to the Birmingham Natural 

 History and Philological Society, with the idea of forming an Entomological section 

 of that Society.— Colbkan J. Wainweioht, lion. Secretary. 



