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THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Vol. XXVL] FEBEUARY, 189 3. [No. 357. 



PROFESSOE J. 0. WESTWOOD. 



John Obadiah Westwood, Nestor of contemporary entomo- 

 logy, Hon. Life -President of the Entomological Society of London, 

 and Professor of Zoology in the University of Oxford, died in that 

 city on the 2nd of January last. 



To write a full account of the work done in our science by 

 the deceased during his long life, would almost entail a history 

 of the progress of entomology during the last sixty years, for it 

 can only be properly estimated by comparison with the contem- 

 porary advancement made in the knowledge of the insect world. 

 Judged by that standard it will always be found to represent much 

 of the best work of the day. Studying all orders of insects, 

 describing many of the most striking and remarkable species, 

 and illustrating the same with his ever facile pencil, his contribu- 

 tions from the years 1827 to 1891 comprise a small entomological 

 library, and reflect the different phases in the entomology of 

 those years. 



Prof. Westwood was born at Sheffield on December 22nd, 

 1805, and had, therefore, just completed the eighty-seventh year 

 of his life. He was originally intended to follow the profession 

 of the law, and was actually at one time a partner in a solicitor's 

 business, but happily for himself and the cause of entomology he 

 was able to devote himself to more congenial studies. This was 

 largely incidental to his friendship with the Rev. F. W. Hope, 

 whose collection with his own were presented to the Oxford 

 University Museum, concurrently with his appointment as 

 Zoological Professor. 



Of his published writings we can say nothing here that is 

 unrelated to entomology, though his joint-authorship with 

 Spence Bate, in the * History of the British Sessile -eyed 

 Crustacea,' and his very considerable and valuable contributions 

 to Palseographic Art, are alone sufficient to perpetuate his 

 memory. In entomology his best and most enduring work is, 



ENTOM. — FEB. 1893. D 



