‘ 
144 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
REVIEW. 
Ninth Annual Report of the Lancashire and Cheshire Ento- 
mological Society, 1885. 
This Report is by no means encouraging, and suggests that, 
through the influence of “ bad times ” or other reason, Entomology 
in the Liverpool district is rather at a discount, at least as 
indicated by its representative Society. This report consists of 
a short presidential address by Mr. 8. J. Capper and a very 
meagre report by the Secretary, who states that in consequence 
of the limited attendance of members at the excursions last year 
this pleasant feature is this season to be discontinued. ‘The 
revenue has also been so restricted that the balance appears on 
the wrong side, even though economy seems to have been 
practised, as no books have been added to the library by purchase 
during the past year. Surely some effort should be made 
to resuscitate the fallen fortunes of the Society, which ought to 
number more than fifty-eight members, as it is supposed to 
represent the populous counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. 
OBITUARY. 
Tuomas Epwarp—immortalised by Smiles in his ‘ Life of a 
Scottish Naturalist’—died April 27th, 1886, aged 72 years, 
having been born on Christmas Day, 1814. Edward’s knowledge 
of Natural History was rather diffuse than special; so that as an 
entomologist he collected all orders without gaining exceptional 
knowledge of any. In him the taste for Natural History seemed to 
have been inborn, as may be gathered from the many interesting 
and amusing stories told by Mr. Smiles in his ‘ Life.’ By the 
lucky chance of that author pitching upon Edward, when searching 
for a subject for a new work, the self-taught naturalist became 
suddenly celebrated and fashionable ; the result being that from 
comparative poverty HMdward was raised to a condition of comfort 
by asubscription which realised about £333, and later he received 
a pension of £50 a year by order of the Queen. ‘There is much to 
admire in the unsophisticated life of this type of Nature’s 
gentleman, a type by no means so rare among the working 
naturalists of this country as is imagined by the many who 
only see the world superficially.—J. T. C. 
