288 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Hymenoptera in the ' Eheinland Verhandlungen,' are known to 

 all hymenopterists. His best known works, however, are his 

 ' Hymenopterologische Studien,' separately published in two 

 volumes at Aix (Aachen), in 1851 and 1856 ; the first relating to 

 the ants (" Formicarige "), the second to the " ChalcididaB " and 

 " Proctotrupii." It was on his Synopses of the Cynipidse, 1869 

 (93 genera !) ; of the Braconidae 1862 (210 genera !) ; and 

 of the Ichneumonidse, 1868 (640 genera !), that most labour was 

 spent. These are presented in the forms of analytical tables, 

 which in the case of these numerous hypothetical genera, about 

 which there is a certain philosophy, does not altogether serve to 

 lessen the labours of those who come after, although this was 

 doubtless Forster's intention ; for in his monograph of Campo- 

 plex — in which he describes seventy-two species from three 

 Gravenhorstian ones — he prefaces it with these remarks: — 

 "Without the help of an analytical table I should scarcely venture 

 to offer the entomological public such prolix and numerous descrip- 

 tions." As Francis Walker truly said of him — " Many of his genera 

 have no certain resting-places, and the author would have deserved 

 more praise if he had described a typical species of each genus." 

 Forster was, however, a great master of the parasitic Hymen- 

 optera and did some good work ; whether his numerous genera 

 and species will ever be adopted remains to be seen ; extended 

 knowledge will soon test their value. Doubtless he was a 

 conscientious w T orker and a very laborious one ; he was a fairly 

 good correspondent (although Frederick Smith would certainly 

 not have said so of him) and distributed specimens freely, too 

 often, however, with manuscript names. We can but regret that 

 so great a master is no longer amongst us, and can fully 

 corroborate what we are told the journals of Aix-la-Chapelle are 

 unanimous in saying, that Dr. Forster leaves to his fellow 

 citizens the grand example of a life full of honour and of work. 

 Forster's collection is said to be a remarkable one, and on the 

 disposition of this greatly depend the ultimate results of his busy 

 life. Forster, like his master Nees, was a distinguished botanist 

 as well as entomologist ; he was a whilom member of the London, 

 French, Stettin, Vienna, and several other entomological and 

 natural history societies. — E. A. F. 



