1 82 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [XXXI, '20 



him we have gleaned the following facts of his life. And 

 when but recently he remarked to us that he could hardly 

 understand why any one should be interested in his life's 

 work, that — "I have done so little "^ — we were amazed. But 

 let us sketch briefly the busy career of this man, whose labors 

 are still far from being ended. 



Richard H. Stretch was born November 25th, 1837, at 

 Nantwich, England, five miles from the Crewe Station in 

 Cheshire. His father died when he was eight years old, and 

 two years later he was sent to a Quaker boarding school at 

 Ackworth. At fourteen he attended the Friends' School at 

 York. Even in these early years he had an intense interest 

 in Natural History, but especially insects. 



In 1853 he went to Banbury as an apprentice in a draper's 

 shop, remaining there until 1859. But this existence did 

 not appeal to him (he states now that he had as much interest 

 in dry goods as a fly) and the following year he held a position 

 as cashier and book-keeper in a manufacturing company. 

 In the winter of 1861 came an invitation to visit relatives in 

 Illinois, and always eager to travel, and seeing an opportunity 

 to study new forms of insect life, he quickly accepted this 

 chance, soon leaving for Boston on the old Cunard side- 

 wheeler "Canada," the passage consuming twenty-one days. 

 Reaching Boston, he proceeded to New York, and from there 

 by steamer to Panama. There he did considerable collect- 

 ing in all lines, and became acquainted with Dr. White, of 

 the Panama Railroad Company, the pioneer coleopterist of 

 Central America. Leaving Panama, he made New Orleans 

 his next stop, remaining there several weeks sight-seeing and, 

 as always, collecting. Thence to his uncle's home, near 

 Adrian, Illinois, where he remained about a month. Deciding 

 to return to England, he made hurried visits to Philadelphia 

 and Washington and then voyaged to Europe. 



The following year he devoted himself to architecture and 

 building, but was dissatisfied with conditions and again 

 came to the United States. He visited once more his uncle 

 in Illinois, making considerable collections in all lines of biol- 

 ogy. In 1863 he joined an emigrant party bound for Cali- 

 fornia, and it was during this that a curious incident occurred. 



