$6 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



pre-eminent. His British collection was unsurpassed in 

 richness and extent, and was always open to the inspection 

 of any entomologist who would run down to see it. Its fame 

 spread far and wide, and attracted many a visitor to Epping; 

 and these visits of brother entomologists were for years the 

 only breaks in the seclusion of his life. 



But Doubleday was not an entomologist only : he was 

 eminent also as an ornithologist and oologist; and many of 

 his observations on birds and their nidification are incorpo- 

 rated in the works of Yarrell, Newman, and others ; moreover, 

 he was a capital shot, and could thus not only obtain his own 

 specimens, but could afterwards stuff them and set them up 

 to perfection. During the latter part of his life, however, his 

 attention was less given to birds and eggs. His garden and 

 his greenhouse were his never-failing delight. Always an 

 active man, and fond of out-door exercise, he would rise in 

 summer with the sun, and might be found in his garden at 

 the back of the house looking after his flowers and fruit, or 

 in his paddock beyond the garden noting the birds as they 

 flew over. He also took an interest in photography, and was 

 a considerable reader of contemporary literature. 



His life was simplicity itself. Gentle and quiet in his 

 manner, he moved about the house with velvet-tread, as 

 noiselessly as one of his own pet cats. Shy and retiring, even 

 to a fault, he seemed almost to dread to meet a stranger; and 

 doubtless many, on first meeting him, must have felt some- 

 what disappointed with his constrained reserve. But when 

 once the first interview was over and the ice was broken, the 

 goodness of his heart shone forth ; acquaintance warmed 

 into friendship, and no demand upon his friendship was too 

 great for him to comply with. 



His correspondence both with English and European 

 entomologists was extensive ; and his letters to his more 

 familiar friends were pleasing from their simple-mindedness. 

 He was a most active penman, and habitually regular in 

 replying to all communications. Occurrences of birds and 

 insects, and details of their habits; the flowering of his 

 plants, or the condition of his strawberry-beds; the death 

 from old age of his gardener, or of a favourite cat ; peculiarities 

 of the weather; lamentations over his own health, and 

 enquiries after his friends'; at one time gently chiding the 



