23 



he used to call him, recognising the fact that to the younger genera- 

 tion must we look for an advance on the progress of the older. 

 Stainton devoted his energies mainly to the British Micro-lepidoptera, 

 so-called, and to him we are indebted for the thirteen beautifully 

 illustrated volumes, "The Natural History of the Tineina." Early 

 appreciating the fact that much careful work had been done by the 

 German-speaking peoples of Europe, he placed himself in very 

 friendly communion with many of the leading students in the study 

 of the smaller Lepidoptera on the Continent. Hence many observa- 

 tions were made in this country suggested by what had been done 

 by his friends abroad, and his own independent observations were 

 often confirmed by similar ones made by his co-workers. Only by 

 most careful and systematic methods was he able to get through the 

 huge amount of work he undertook. In addition to the various 

 books he wrote, the production and editing of periodical literature 

 absorbed much of his energies. "The Entomologist's Annual," for 

 twenty years a record of work done in various orders ; " The Ento- 

 mologist's Weekly Intelligencer" for some years; the "Entomolo- 

 gist's Monthly Magazine " from 1864 onwards kept him continuously 

 working. Still he found time to compile a book on "' South European 

 I'inei/ia" and another on the " Tineina of N. America," as well as 

 to make several journeys to the Alps of Switzerland. No one man 

 ever did more to advance the study of the Micro-lepidoptera, especi- 

 ally from the natural history side. 



Perhaps I ought not to omit some mention of Douglas, one of the 

 collaborators with Stainton in "The Natural History of tlie Tineina^'' 

 and a great helper in the conduct of tlie periodical literature he 

 was responsible for. In the sixties he forsook the study of the 

 Lepidoptera, and henceforward to the various sections of the Hemi- 

 ptera the remainder of his very long life was devoted. In conjunction 

 with John Scott a volume of the Ray Society Series was produced, 

 comprising life-histories of the British species of Hemiptera-Hetero- 

 ptera, which was superior in every way to anything hitherto attempted 

 in this order. At his death the whole of his notes, excer|jts, etc., 

 came into the possession of the Entomological Society, and almost a 

 shelf in their library is devoted to this handsome bequest. He was 

 the author of that interesting little book, "The World of Insects." 



Turning to those whose fame rests chiefly on their skill and 

 success in delineating the objects of their admiration, we must, in 

 order of time, first speak of Donovan. He was a most indefatigable 

 artist, but without any power of appreciating the scientific progress 

 of the time, hence his fame rests entirely on his illustrations. 

 "British Insects," "Insects of New Holland, etc.," "Insects of 

 China," "Insects of India," "British Birds," "British Shells," 

 " British Fishes," and many others, are still considered as of value to 

 connoisseurs, and contain the first published figures of many species. 

 Some of his figures are perfect gems of colour. Curiously, his 

 " Insects of India" are not Indian, but S. American or African species. 



