394 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



brown or nearly black — in fact, they rival or surpass the Chamaeleon 

 in cryptic coloration in accordance with their surroundings. — J. C. 

 Kershaw. 



OBITUAEY. 

 George Henry Verrall. 



By the death of George Henry Verrall on the 16th of last month, 

 British entomology has suffered a loss of which it is as yet too soon 

 to speak. As many readers of this notice are doubtless aware, Verrall 

 from his youth up had devoted himself to the study of that much 

 neglected though most important order of insects known as Diptera, 

 or two- winged flies, of the British representatives of which he possessed 

 at the time of his death an unique knowledge, being recognized abroad 

 as well as at home as the leading English authority on the subject. 

 Verrall's career as an entomologist commenced some five and forty 

 years ago, when, as a boy of eighteen, he began to collect flies in 

 the garden of his father's house at Denmark Hill. The specimens 

 thus obtained were steadily added to as opportunity offered, mainly 

 as the result of collecting holidays spent in various parts of Great 

 Britain ; material contributions were also received from time to time 

 from entomological friends, until to-day the cabinets in the late 

 naturalist's home at Newmarket contain by far the finest and most 

 complete collection of British Diptera ever brought together. It is 

 gratifying to learn that a large part of this series of specimens has 

 generously been bequeathed to the Trustees of the British Museum, 

 and will shortly be added to the National Collection at South 

 Kensington. 



Eealizing the importance of having reliably named Continental 

 specimens at hand for comparison, Verrall, although confining his 

 studies to British Diptera, many years ago acquired the extensive 

 collection formed in Austria-Hungary by Herr Ferdinand Kowarz. 

 In 1893 he also purchased the exotic flies amassed by the late Mons. 

 J. M. F. Bigot, and thus became possessed of the types of the 

 greater part of the species connected with the name of that well- 

 known dipterist, as well as of a certain number of those described 

 by his compatriot and predecessor Macquart. 



As a contributor to scientific journals, Verrall was by no means 

 prolific, and his published memoirs probably number less than 

 thirty, a total which would doubtless have been considerably aug- 

 mented, however, had it not been for the great work shortly to be 

 referred to, which of late years left little leisure for other tasks. 



