1870. 91 
recently, was of great rarity. Mr. Allis had been in failing health for several years, 
and when the writer of this notice met him at York, in August, 1866, he was pained 
to see the wreck illness had then made of a constitution naturally most robust. 
At times he visibly improved, but rapidly declined a few months since, and at last 
his sufferings were such that death was probably a happy release. He was long a 
member of the Entomological Societies of London and Stettin. 
Alexander Henry Haliday.—In our last number we briefly announced the death 
of this celebrated entomologist, promising a more extended notice of his life. Mr. 
Haliday was born at Belfast, in 1807, and, after his preliminary education was com- 
pleted, entered at the age of 15 years as a student at Trinity College, Dublin, where he 
remained 5 years, earning for himself much distinction, and obtaining his degree of 
M.A. Subsequently he studied for the legal profession, and was called to the bar, 
but we are uncertain whether he ever practised. Settling in the North of Ireland, 
he devoted himself enthusiastically to the pursuit of literature and Natural History, 
and the high respect in which his character was held, caused him to be elected High 
Sheriff of Antrim, in 1843. His earliest entomological publication was probably a 
local list of Coleoptera and Diptera, communicated to the “ Zoological Journal” in 
1828 ; but soon afterwards he appears to have devoted himself more especially to 
‘the latter order, then almost unstudied in this country, and to which he continued 
constantly to pay much attention, publishing many papers thereon which have re- 
ceived the highest encomiums from such well-known Dipterologists as Loew and 
Schiner. A considerable portion of the “ Insecta Britannica—Diptera” (the whole 
of the family Dolichopide and most of the Empide and Syrphide) was furnished by 
him, and it is with mingled feelings of pleasure and regret that we find Loew, in a 
‘notice of this work, stating that ‘“‘the excellent plates by Mr. Westwood, and 
the systematic arrangement, prepared for the most part by Mr. Haliday, give to 
this work a character not shared by others of Mr. Walker’s publications.” But 
not to his Dipterous labours alone did he owe his fame as an entomologist. His 
ciassification of the minute parasitic Hymenoptera belonging to the Chalcidide, 
Proctrotrupide, &c., &c., and his arrangement of the order Thysanoptera, show 
how thoroughly and exhaustively he investigated those most difficult groups of 
Insects. About 10 years since, Mr. Haliday’s health became uncertain —severe 
dyspeptic attacks reacted upon his nervous system and occasioned periods of 
apathetic melancholy which he could not shake off, and which rendered all work 
impossible during their continuance, nothwithstanding that his mental powers 
remained unimpaired. He then sought the more genial climate of Italy, and 
took up his residence with his relative, Signor Pisani, Villa Pisani, near Lucca, 
Here he devoted himself to collecting and studying Italian insects, and to amassing 
an entomological library, which eventually became most extensive ; but his contribu- 
tions to entomological literature have been few of late years. In 1868 he visited 
Sicily, in company with his friend Dr. Perceval Wright, and in the same year took a 
prominent part in establishing the Italian Entomological Society which promises to 
become most useful and flourishing. The fatigues of this Sicilian journey, and the 
insalubrity of the climate, seemed to tell severely upon him; and on the 12th of last 
July he died, at the age of 63, his friend Dr. Wright having been hastily summoned 
to his bedside, and arriving in time to receive his last requests ; to this gentleman, 
his colleague in the editorship of the ‘“‘ Natural History Review,’ we are indebted 
for much of the information we have been enabled to give of his early life. We 
believe there is some hope that his collections, with the types contained therein, may 
eventually be deposited in the British Museum. 
