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OBITUARY. 



Henry James Stovin Pryer died unexpectedly on the 17th 

 of last February, at his residence, 127 Bluff, Yokohama, Japan, 

 in which country he had resided as a merchant for the previous 

 seventeen years. Of great energy, strong constitution, and 

 usually robust health, the attack of bronchial pneumonia which 

 caused his death was his first really serious illness, although he had 

 reached his 37th year. Curiously, it is said, he was attacked upon 

 the same day of his age on which his father, who was a solicitor, 

 living near Finsbury Square, London, contracted his fatal illness. 

 This affected the subject of our notice so seriously that he at 

 once made up his mind he should not get better, and prej^ared his 

 affairs accordingly; at any other time he might perhaj)s have 

 successfully battled with his illness. Mr. Pryer commenced the 

 study of Entomology quite early in life, forming a collection of 

 Lepidoptera and one of Trichoptera, chiefly from the neighbour- 

 hood of London. Among the former he took Sterrlia sacraria 

 close to London, and Eupithecia togata in Essex. Trachonitls 

 prycrclla was named in his honour. After his arrival in Japan 

 he systematically studied the Natural History of that interesting 

 country, and has from time to time sent to England valuable 

 consignments of specimens taken all over the Islands. For a 

 period in 1877 he held the appointment of Director to the 

 Government Natural History Museum at Tokio, but the scheme 

 having failed, he returned to commercial pursuits. For his 

 many contributions to the collection of living animals in the 

 Zoological Society's Gardens in London he was made a corres- 

 ponding member of that Society. He was a member of the 

 Entomological Society of London, and occasionally contributed 

 papers ; notably one upon remarkable cases of mimicry in insects 

 of very different orders {vide Trans., 1885, pt. III.) His great work, 

 which unfortunately remains a fragment, was a monograph of the 

 Phopalocera of Japan, already noticed in these pages (Entom. 28). 

 The first part was issued and the second part of the three proposed 

 was ready at the time of his death. It is sincerely to be hoped 

 that means may be found for its completion. A list of the 

 Lepidoptera of Japan from his pen, appears in the Transactions 

 of the Koyal Asiatic Society's Japanese Branch. He also published, 

 in connection with Captain W. Black-Keston, a list of the Birds 

 of Japan. Mr. Pryer's biological work extended to other parts 

 of the Eastern "World. He visited China in 1871 ; Borneo in 

 about 1884, where his brother, also an excellent naturalist, is 

 official resident of the British North Borneo Company ] and in 

 June, 188G, accompanied by a hired Japanese collector, he investi- 

 gated the Loo-Choo Islands. Little was then known of the fauna 



