KARL WILHELM THEODOR BELING 



No sketch of the life of Theodor Beling, the great German student of the 

 immature stages of the Tipuloidea, has ever appeared in English. It was 

 with considerable difficulty that the writer was able to get into communication 

 with relatives and friends of Beling and obtain the data presented herewith.* 



Theodor Beling was born at Steterburg, in the Duchy of Brunswick, 

 Germany, on March 26, 1816. He was a son of the district forester. From 

 1828 to 18:34 he attended school at Wolfenbuttel. At Easter, 1834, he began 

 his chosen career as a forester, having served his prescribed apprenticeship 

 of two years with his father at Danndorf. He attended the Royal Saxon 

 Academy at Tharand from 1836 to 1837, and in the following year visited the 

 University of Gottingen to round out his technical training in various branches 

 relating to forestry. Beling's career as a forester extends from Easter, 1834, 

 to October 1, 1888, when he was officially retired with a pension. In April, 

 1861, he was made Master of the Forest, a position which he held until his 

 retirement. 



After his retirement from active public service, Beling long continued his 

 vigorous researches afield and at home. When far advanced in years, he 

 went alone on long trips to seek new stations for plants and to observe animal 

 life in wood and field. He died on December 17, 1898, at Seesen, where 

 much of his finest work was accomplished. 



During his lifetime Beling published one hundred and seven articles. The 

 series of three papers which rank him as a pioneer in the field of crane-flj' 

 biology were published in the years 1873, 1879, and 1886, respectively. In 

 these papers the histories of sixty-nine species of crane-flies are discussed in 

 detail, and brief notes on five additional species are included. The other 

 pubhshed articles of Beling cover a remarkable range of subjects relating 

 directly or indirectly to the science of forestry. His most important researches 

 on the life histories of insects, in addition to those on the Tipuloidea, are on 

 the coleopterous families Parnidae and Elateridae. His published articles 

 are dated between 1850 and 1888, but practically all of his entomological 

 studies were published in the seventies and eighties. 



Beling's excellent collection of dried plants, mounted birds, and sections 

 of various woods, and his cabinet of insects — the last-named including the 

 types of several species described by himself and by others — arc preserved 

 in the collection of the Natural History Museum at Brunswick. It is under- 

 stood that the insects in this collection, including the alcohoUc larvae and 

 pupae of the Tipuloidea, are still in excellent condition. 



* Sincere thanks are here extended to the following persons, who have added materially 

 to the value of this biosraphical notice: 



Landesforstmeister K. Block, son-in-law of Beling. who published in April. 1800 (in 

 Allgemeinen Forst- unci Jagd-Zeitung). a complete obituary notice rclatinp; to his father- 

 in law. and to. whom the writer is indobtf^rl for several additional unpublished notes and 

 for the loan of the excellent portrait of Peling reproduced herewith. 



.1. Meerwartz. Director of the Natural History Mu'^eum at Brunswick, who has fur- 

 nished data concerning the present condition of the collection of the immature stages of 

 th'' Tipuloidea described by Beling. now preserved in the above-mentioned institution. 



William Prindle Alexander and Elsa MuUer Alexander, who have rendered valuable 

 service in translating the account of Beling's Ufe. 



