150 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



calibre, and could fully enter into the positions and arguments of 

 the more modern school. It happened to myself to be staying 

 with him in 18G0, just after the appearance of Mr. Darwin's work 

 on the ' Origin of Species,' many points in which became the 

 subject of long and frequent discussion between us. Although 

 Mr. Blackwall could not see his way to an acceptance of Mr. 

 Darwin's views, yet their importance as offering a theory for the 

 solution of problems hitherto insoluble on any scientific hypothesis 

 struck him as worthy of the closest attention of every naturalist. 

 His idea, at that time, was that Mr. Darwin's views were more 

 assailable on psychological than on other grounds. He appeared to be 

 impressed with a conviction that if the theory of " natural selection" 

 be a true one, it must be true psychologically as well as physically. 



It has been already remarked that Mr. Blackwall's early life 

 was passed in Lancashire ; from thence his residence was trans- 

 ferred to North Wales, where, first at Oaklands (about 1832), and 

 afterwards (from about 1854) at Hendre House, near Llanrwst, 

 and not far from the picturesque district of Bettws-y-coed, the 

 remainder of his long life ran out. Although attaining so great 

 an age, Mr. Blackwall was in this respect outdone by his father, 

 who reached the still greater age of ninety-four years. 



It should be noted that as lately as 1873 Mr. Blackwall 

 published a second edition of his 'Researches in Zoology'; but, 

 so far as I am aware, the chief difference between this and the first 

 edition consists of the omission of the numerous technical descrip- 

 tions of spiders, which had become out of place by their incor- 

 poration, meanwhile, in his ' History of British Spiders.' 



It will be a source of happiness to all who knew him to hear 

 that, although weighed down by great physical prostration, his 

 usual strength and clearness of intellect remained to the last, and 

 the end of the long life, we have been thus very inadequately 

 noticing, came as calmly, quietly, and peacefuU}^, as its many days 

 had passed by. His family and friends have to mourn a good 

 man, and the scientific world a bright ornament. 



Mr. Blackwall had been a member of the British Association 



for the advancement of Science from the commencement, and was 



at his death very nearly the oldest Fellow of the Linnean Society, 



having joined it April 17th, 1837. 



0. Pickard-Cambridge. 



Bloxworth Eectory, near Blaudford, Dorset, June 18, 1881. 



