80 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
and faunas are liable to become soon obsolete bv the rapid growth 
of knowledge.” Thus there can be little doubt that Bates 
restricted his own work of late years to descriptive Entomology, 
because he felt that it is at present the form of entomological 
work that has most permanent utility. 
The portion of the vast order of Coleoptera that was most 
carefully scrutinised by Mr. Bates was doubtless the Carabidae. 
After the completion of his voiumes of the ‘ Biologia Centrali- 
Americana,’ he devoted considerable time to the development of 
an improved classification of his favourite family, and we may be 
allowed to indulge the hope that, when his entomological papers 
are examined, this one may be found to be sufficiently far advanced 
to justify its publication. 
Some few months ago he was attacked by an aggravated form 
of the gastric catarrh from which he had suffered for many 
years, and when he became the victim of an attack of influenza 
and bronchitis he speedily succumbed. It will be long before 
death takes another entomologist who will be so widely and 
sincerely regretted as Henry Walter Bates. 
Dats: 
HELLEBORE AS AN INSECTICIDE. 
By W. W. Sra. 
REFERRING to the articles by Major Still and Miss Ormerod 
(Entom. xxiv. 290), on the use of hellebore in destroying the 
larve of Nematus ribesit and Abraxas grossulariata, I may add 
the results of experiments with the powder in checking the 
ravages of injurious insects in New Zealand. Judging from Miss. 
Ormerod’s remarks, I was somewhat surprised to learn that so 
little was known of hellebore used in solution as an insecticide. 
I have used it successfully for twelve years in the manner advised 
by Major Still, and it is used annually by many orchardists in 
the South Island for destroying the larve of Tenthredo (Selandria) 
cerast. I use it in the proportion of half an ounce to a bucket of 
water. When I notice the newly-hatched larve on the leaves, 
I carefully and effectually syringe the trees with the solution, 
choosing a calm day for doing so. The larve are equally common 
on the cherry-, plum-, and pear-trees, and rapidly destroy their 
foliage if they are not checked or destroyed. One good syringing 
suffices, and, as Major Still remarks, it entails considerable labour 
when the orchard to be syringed is a large one; but the owner is 
well repaid for both time and money spent on the work. By 
syringing the trees early the imago sawfly is prevented from 
laying eggs further on the foliage, and by this course much 
labour is avoided. I do not go over the trees syringing a second 
time with pure water, as the particles of powder left adhering to 
