253 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Birmingham Entomological Society. — An/just llth, 1891. — Mr. R. 

 C. Bradley in the chair. Mr. G. W. Wyun showed bred series of Bomhijx 

 rubi and B. quercus from Sutton ; a single specimen of Chmrocampa porcetlus, 

 taken at Sutton last June; a series of Notodonta dlctcea, bred from larvae 

 found on Cannock Chase; and a single specimen of Plusia hractea from 

 Bewdley. Mr. P. W. Abbott, large series of Zygana filipendulcB and 

 Z. trifolii from the Isle of Wight, including yellow varieties of the former 

 species ; of the latter species, quite 75 per cent, of the specimens taken 

 were varieties, with the spots more or less coalesced. Mr. R. C. Bradley, 

 Scatopliaga scybalaria from Sutton Park. Mr. C. J. Wainwright, Phyto 

 nietra tenea from Wyre Forest. — C. J. Wainwright, Hon. Sec. 



OBITUARY. 



E. W. Janson. — A well-known member of the entomological fraternity 

 will be missed in Edward Wesley Janson, who died at his residence in 

 Stroud Green on the 14th of last month (August). He was born at Hackney 

 on the 14th March, 1822, and was therefore in his seventieth year. He 

 received his education at the college of La Fleche, in France, and subse- 

 quently studied for the medical profession at Edinburgh, but relinquished 

 the career at his father's wish, in order to assist him in his business as 

 Dutch merchant in the city, and afterwards as secretary of the Dutch- 

 Rhenish Railway. On the death of his father, in 1867, he commenced 

 business as a natural-history agent, publisher, and bookseller, in which he 

 continued until compelled by failing health to retire in February last. Like 

 all true naturalists, his taste for this pursuit was innate and declared itself 

 at an early date. He began as a collector, and his happy hunting-grounds 

 were the then little-frequented Highgate Woods and Hampstead Heath, in 

 the neighbourhood of his father's residence. His speciality was Coleoptera, 

 and he soon became not only a skilful and successful collector, but a 

 scientific authority on the British species, much respected by his colleagues. 

 In the course of time he extended his studies to the products of the whole 

 world, beginning with the Staphylinidse, and afterwards taking up the 

 Elateridse, his collection of which ultimately became the largest ever known. 

 As an author he was almost painfully accurate and laborious, and, on this 

 account probably, published but little. He wrote the Coleopterous portion 

 of the 'Entomologist's Annual' from its commencement in 1855 to 1861, 

 and contributed also several papers on ants'-nest beetles. He compiled 

 the descriptive part of the Coleoptera of the edition of Curtis's * British 

 Entomology ' published in 1863 ; wrote various papers in the ' Zoologist ' 

 and ' Transactions of the Entomological Society ' ; edited one of the English 

 editions of Figuier's * Insect World ' ; and lastly, in 1882, contributed a 

 paper to the ' Cistula Entomologica ' on the Elateridse collected by Buckley. 

 For many years he filled the post of Secretary and Librarian to the Ento- 

 mological Society, of which he had been a member since 1843. Among the 

 scientific property he leaves behind him are his matchless collection of the 

 ElateridsB and allied families, and a library of great extent and value. His 

 collection of British Coleoptera was ceded many years ago to Mr. G. R. 

 Crotch, and now forms part of the University Museum at Cambridge. 



