OBITUARY. 71 



Force. Towards the end of 192Q he went for a prolonged visit to 

 Yarmouth, which was always a favourite health-resort of his, but, as 

 his colleagues had only too clearly foreseen, he was destined 'never to 

 resume his labours in the old fields of activity. He was buried in the 

 family grave at Nunhead Cemetery on February 7th, 1922. 



His connection with the Entomological Society of London was a 

 long one, for he was elected a Fellow (then termed a Member) as 

 long ago as 1875. He was a Vice-President in 1881 and again in 

 1900, and acted as one of the Secretaries from 1878 to 1880, while 

 he served upon the Council from 1900 to 1902. Of other learned 

 societies he was Member of the Anthropological Institute (of which 

 he was Director and Honorary Secretary 1878-1881), Member of the 

 Entomological Society of France, and Corresponding Member of the 

 Entomological Society of Stockholm and of the Buffalo Society of 

 Natural Sciences. 



Distant's literary output was considerable, and reference has 

 already been made to his special memoirs and the books on the 

 Transvaal and the Malay Peninsula. Other important publications 

 were : ' Biologia Centrali-Americana,' ' Hemiptera-Heteroptera,' vol. 

 i (1880-1893) and (in part) ' Hemiptera-Homoptera,' vol. i (1881 - 

 1905); 'A Monograph of Oriental Cicadida? ' (1889-1892); 'The 

 Fauna of British India,' ' Ehynchota,' vols, i to vii (1902-1918) ; 

 and 'A Synonymic Catalogue of Homoptera, Part I — Cicadidas' (190G) 



Although he was keenly sensitive to adverse criticism, his 

 conversation was both humorous and entertaining, as he always had 

 a large fund of anecdote and reminiscence to draw upon, and knew 

 how to tell a good story with the greatest effect. At one time he 

 was an enthusiastic fresh-water fisherman, but, when the burden of 

 years began to press heavily upon him, he found a more congenial 

 pursuit in the cultivation of his flower-garden. Angling and 

 gardening incidents never failed as a basis for friendly intercourse, 

 whenever he met with others who shared in his genuine love for 

 such things. Herbert Campion. 



William Puedey. 



As announced in the February number of this magazine, the 

 death of William Purdey took place on January 19th last. 



He was born at Folkestone on January 22nd, 1814, and was thus 

 within three days of the completion of the seventy-eighth year of ' 

 his age on the date of his decease. 



By occupation he was a locksmith, and for fifty-six years he 

 faithfully served the South-Eastern Bailway Company, his particular 

 duty being to keep in repair the locks on the Channel boats. 



Purdey was essentially a field lepidopterist, and his special study, 

 at any rate for many years past, has been the lesser British 

 Lepidoptera, including all groups except the Tineina. 



He was of an exceptionally persevering and energetic nature, with 

 excellent powers of observation, and the necessary sound judgment 

 to enable him to use these qualities to the best advantage. He was 

 unquestionably, if not the best, at any rate one of the very best field 

 workers we have ever produced. 



. His contributions to the literature of the science were compara- 

 tively few, and mostly consisted of records of his captures. The 



