OBITUARY. 



I. THE celebrated naturalist, J. Christ. FabriciuSj 

 died, in Denmark, in the month of March, last. He 

 was one of the most distinguished pupils of Linnaeus, 

 whose lectures he attended in the years 1763, 1764. 

 He had studied, with attention, all the parts of natural 

 history ; but, for several of the latter years of his life, 

 had attached himself principally to the study of Insects. 

 Of these animals, so numerous and interesting, he pub- 

 lished a system, founded upon principles entirely dif- 

 ferent from that of his illustrious master : a system, 

 however, much more difficult than that of Linnaeus. 

 His latter writings, no doubt, contain descriptions of 

 many of the North- American insects, specimens of 

 which were transmitted to him, from time to time, by 

 the Editor of this Journal, who enjoyed the happiness 

 of corresponding with the great entomologist, ever since 

 the year 1793 ; and who now deplores the loss, not 

 merely of the naturalist, but also of his useful epistolary 

 friend. 



Fabricius was, by no means, a mere nomenclatural 

 naturalist. He had attached himself to the philosophi- 

 cal part of the science also ; and several of his papers 

 show him to have been a man of much genius, and 

 influenced by the truest spirit of observation. To Fa- 



