OBITUARY. 219 



Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, died at his residence at Fontaine- 

 bleau on April 14th, 1908, at the age of 70. 



A native of South Central France, Captain Finot graduated at 

 r ilcole Polytechnique, and, afterwards, serving in the Franco-Prussian 

 War, was taken prisoner at the disaster of Sedan. Upon his return 

 from captivity in Germany, he found himself out of sympathy with 

 the democratic institutions, and withdrew from further participation 

 in public life. In a beautiful garden at Fontainebleau, shut oft' from 

 the outside world by a high wall, within a few minutes' walk from the 

 Chateau and Park which he loved so well, he built himself a house in 

 which to spend the rest of his life. 



His brother joined him, living in a separate building in the same 

 garden, but, on his death some ten years later, his house was closed, 

 only to be opened on one of those rare occasions when an entomological 

 friend visited Captain Finot en fainille. He lived a recluse tor the 

 rest of his days, seeing few people beyond his faithful servants and 

 housekeeper, receiving few or no visitors, except his entomological 

 friends from all lands, who were always welcomed with a most cordial 

 hospitality. The writer of this notice, who mourns the loss of a good 

 friend, spent many a happy day in his genial company, chatting of 

 entomology and entomologists of all lands, for, although not a traveller, 

 the extent of his reading gave him wide and broad-minded views on 

 many subjects. His opinion, however, once formed, nothing could 

 shake. To the very end he retained his faithful affection for his 

 old Emperor and the imperial Regime. " I saw France happy under 

 the Empire," he used to say, " and I know she would be happier were 

 the Empire restored to-morrow." With Republicanism he had little 

 sympathy, and even the most amiable and respected men in France he 

 looked on with suspicion as "tools of the P^-eemasons," whom he 

 regarded, like a true Roman Catholic, as the enemies of his Country 

 and his Church. Yet it was characteristic of the man that he 

 regularly read the newspapers of all parties ; Royalist periodicals, and 

 even those of Republican views, were always lymg on his table. He 

 followed the Dreyfus' case with a detached interest, as though from 

 afar, but his militarj' instincts made him look upon the unfortunate 

 victim as really the guilty party. 



Of a naturally studious and industrious disposition. Captain Finot 

 was always occupied. An expert photographer, he filled many albums 

 with views of the Chateau, its park, and of the forest which he loved 

 so well. A clever carpenter, he made with his own hands many of 

 the fittings of his entomological laboratory. Numerous pamphlets, 

 which are a trouble to all scientific men, he bound himself. He was 

 also an accomplished artist, and filled many portfolios with pencil 

 sketches and water-colour views of the old towns and villages of 

 France. 



As an entomologist he was painstaking, even laborious. He com- 

 piled, for his own use, complete catalogues of the orthoptera, which 

 are as remarkable for their caligraphy as for their thoroughness, and 

 these he supplemented with manuscript of synoptical tables of all 

 groups, partly copied from the standard works, partly compiled, and 

 partly original. He collected little himself, especially in the later 

 years of his life, but, by purchase and other means, he acquired a 

 valuable and extensive collection of orthoptera. 



