160 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
told in the autobiographical chapters scattered through the volume, 
that it is a pity more prominence was not given to the fact in the 
title, which, however attractive it may be to the dipterologist, does 
not sufficiently make known the delightful field which it covers, or 
appeal so strongly to the general reader. Fabre is not an entomo- 
logist in the limited sense which that word now implies, and so we 
have him writing as intimately about the life-history and habits of 
spiders of all sorts in the first of these volumes as he does about 
those of flies in the second. To this volume there is a preface by 
M. Maurice Maeterlinck, which does full justice to Fabre’s qualities 
of style and imagination, and contributes not a little to a proper 
appreciation of him as a philosopher and man of science. 
G. dinGe 
OBITUARY. 
GEORGE BENTLEY CORBIN. 
Reavers of the ‘Entomologist’ will learn with regret of the 
death of Mr. George Bentley Corbin, which took place at Ringwood 
on March 12th last. Born in Ringwood in 1841, he developed an 
early love of Nature, in the study of which he showed considerable 
ability. He was a keen and observant entomologist. About 1866 and 
for several years he conducted ‘The Amateur Naturalist ’—a manu- 
script magazine, and his contributions were mainly on insect-life. 
He wrote the entomological chapter in the second edition of ‘The 
New Forest Handbook,’ published by Phillips, in 1876, and for many 
years contributed articles upon the subject to ‘Science Gossip’ and 
similar journals. At one time he was a frequent contributor to the 
‘Entomologist,’ and among his later contributions to that journal are 
—* Deiopea pulchella in Hampshire” (1893); “ Emydia cribrum: 
A Reminiscence” (1897); “Aberration of Zygena filipendule and 
Z. trifolit near Ringwood” (1897); ‘ Karly hibernation of Vanessa 
urtice”’ (1905); and “ Plusta moneta in the New Forest” (1907). 
By the tragic death of his wife, who was killed in the railway 
accident at Downton, in 1884, he received a severe shock. The 
news of her death caused partial paralysis of the left side. This 
unfortunately put an end to his active interest in entomology, and 
deprived him of the fullest enjoyment of the life with Nature that 
had hitherto been his. He was an invalid for the rest of his days, 
and yet he lived a full life and overcame his incapacity. His spirit 
was uninjured and he was of a sunny disposition, as his writings 
show. He had a wide circle of friends and correspondents, including 
many eminent entomologists. He was a deeply devout man, and to 
those who enjoyed his friendship his memory will remain fragrant 
and kindly. ct om 
