XI 



to 1874, mainly a resume of the additions to the British Insect fauna 

 in each year. In 1864 he, in conjunction with several friends (of 

 whom the writer of this notice was one), established the 'Entomo- 

 logist's Monthly Magazine,' which continues, and of which he looked 

 over the revise of the number for December, 1892, only a few 

 days before his death. For many years he held reunions of young 

 entomologists at his house, for a long time every Wednesday evening, 

 and subsequently less frequently ; and it was on one of these occasions 

 that the writer first met him, about thirty-five years ago, an event that 

 ripened into a friendship for life. 



In 1848 he joined the Entomological Society of London, was a 

 Secretary in 1850-51 and President in 1881-82, and there were few 

 more regular attendants at the meetings. He was elected into the 

 Linnean Society in 1859, was a Secretary for a short time, and a 

 Vice-President in 1883-85. He became F.R.S. in 1867, and was on 

 the Council in 1880-82. At the meetings of the British Association 

 for the Advancement of Science he acted as a Secretary of Section 

 D in 1864, and from 1867 to 1872. He became Secretary of the 

 Ray Society in 1861 at a critical moment in its history, and con- 

 tinued down to 1872. In 1871 he was instrumental in founding the 

 ' Zoological Record ' Association, of which he became Secretary until 

 the publication was taken over by the Zoological Society in 1886, 

 and to his liberality it was largely owing that the ' Record ' was not 

 allowed to lapse. 



The indications given above show some of the results (but by no 

 means all) of an unusually busy life ; in fact Stainton revelled in 

 work. He was never of a strong constitution, and suffered much 

 from gastric troubles. It must be now fully fifteen years ago that 

 he had a serious illness, but not of long duration. Nevertheless 

 those who knew him intimately noticed a marked change in his 

 character afterwards. His capacity for close continuous study be- 

 came impaired, and he sought work more and more in a secretarial 

 and administrative direction. 



Stainton was a man of great geniality, and also of most marked ' 

 individuality, extremely methodical and conservative in his habits, 

 slow to accept or even to realise changes, yet his astonishment when 

 he became convinced that a change was beneficial, and that he had 

 not found it out before, was sometimes almost ludicrous. In politics 

 he was an active Liberal, and took a prominent position in the party 

 so far as concerned West Kent, and subsequently the Borough of 

 Lewisham, until the recent " split," when he became a dissentient. As 

 a friend, only those who knew him long and intimately can realise the 

 loss they have sustained. As a benefactor, those who received proof 

 of his generosity were many, but in this respect he " did good by 

 stealth," and it was not until after his death that the writer had even 



VCL. LII. p 



