272 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



OBITUARY: J. H. FOVv'LER. 



It is with very sincere and deep regret that I record the death of my 

 friend' John Hknry Fowlek, on August 11th last, at the comparatively 

 early age of forty-seven years. For some months previously he had 

 been in mdifferent health, and although generally uncomplaining, yet 

 his appearance indicated something wrong. A rest and change were 

 recommended by his medical advisers, but having spent a month or 

 more in his native Devonshire, he returned rather worse than better. 

 For a short time after returning he attended business as cashier at the 

 National Provincial Bank in this town, where, for the past fourteen or 

 fifteen years, his quiet, obliging and unassuming — but business-like — 

 demeanour made him a general favourite. Sheer exhaustion at last 

 compelled him to give up, and a specialist having been summoned 

 from a distance, pronounced his case hopeless. A complication of dis- 

 orders, not the least of which was the terrible Bright's disease, caused 

 him fearful agonies for weeks previous to his decease, but the end was 

 peaceful. 



Fond of Nature in all her varied phases, it was as an enthusiastic 

 entomologist he was best known, and his keen powers of observation 

 and perception were exercised wisely and well ; whilst, as a worker in 

 the field, few collectors were more expert and assiduous ; in fact, he 

 seemed possessed of indomitable energy — in some instances, I fear, far 

 beyond his failing strength, a characteristic often remarked by those 

 who had the pleasure of collecting with him. During his residence at 

 Ringwood he became well acquainted with the grand old forest and its 

 many treasures, and being no arm-chair naturalist, his knowledge of 

 the habits and life-histories of many Lepidoptera was extensive, as the 

 pages of this journal bear testimony. 



Perhaps he excelled more particularly in the detection of varieties 

 (Entom. 1893, p. 29 ; and Entom. 1894, p. 131) ; and it may be 

 remembered that, a few years ago, a variety of L. corydon was named 

 after him. In the same year British Emydia crihrimi were deemed 

 worthy of a distinctive name, after an examination of his long and 

 almost unique series of that local species ; and I believe that this was 

 not the only Lithosid to which he paid particular attention, and secured 

 many specimens of marked variation. He, too, had the good fortune 

 to capture the remarkable variety of An/ynnis aylaia, which, if not 

 " charlotta," is a most interesting form, and is figured in the ' Ento- 

 mologist ' for 1894, p. 182. In the conversations we frequently had, 

 recollections of my old collecting experiences often returned most 

 vividly, especially when he talked of rearing the yellow form of Calli- 

 morpha dotiiinula, or the difficulties met with in bringing through such 

 species as Cymatophora ridens, Taniocampa mimosa, Agrotis ayathina, 

 and others. 



He was interred in the Ringwood cemetery on August 15th, and 

 leaves a widow and three daughters to mourn his loss. 



G. B. COKBIN. 



