OBITUARY. 465 
Evotomys and a Sorex occur. Also that the Hvotomys, which 
inhabits an island with so mild a climate as Jersey possesses, 
is closely allied to EH. nageri, EH. vasconia, and HE. norvegicus, 
three species found in the colder parts of Europe. 


OWA WAR Ye 
CHARLES THomas BINGHAM. 
Entomouoey has sustained a severe loss in the death of this well- 
known and amiable naturalist, at an age (sixty-one) when his friends 
might reasonably have hoped that many years of usefulness still lay 
before him. He was born in Ireland on April 16th, 1848, and died 
at his residence in West Kensington on October 18th, 1908. 
As a boy, he was fond of fishing and shooting and other rural 
occupations, and on proceeding to India he devoted much of his spare 
time to the study of birds and their habits. Bingham’s first paper 
was on Anastomus oscitans, published in ‘Stray Feathers’ in 1876, 
when he was Lieutenant in the 33rd N. I.; but he had been making 
ornithological observations for at least two years previously. At 
that time ‘Stray Feathers’ was edited by Allan Hume, with whom 
Bingham became very intimate. Bingham continued to contribute to 
‘Stray Feathers’ till 1880. By this time he had risen to be Captain. 
Since 1877 he had been stationed in Burma, where much of his 
remaining life was spent, and where he ultimately became Conservator 
of Forests. From 1880 to 1893 he published nothing of importance, 
though he continued to collect and observe birds and insects. In 
1894, however, he took up the study of Entomology in earnest, 
devoting himself at first to Hymenoptera and subsequently to 
Butterflies. His first entomological paper (on Hymenoptera) was 
published in the ‘ Journal’ of the Bombay Society of Natural History, 
vol. viii. in 1894. He was in London in 1895, and was then Lieut.- 
Colonel in the Bengal Staff Corps. About this time he joined the 
Entomological and Zoological Societies. 
Bingham then undertook, at first during a visit to London and 
afterwards when he settled in London on retiring from his official 
duties, to arrange the collection of Aculeate Hymenoptera in the 
British Museum. In 1896 he arranged the families Pompilide and 
Sphegide, and from 1901 to 1908 the families Formicide, Mutillide, 
Evanude, and Chrysidide. He also undertook to write the volumes 
on Aculeate Hymenoptera and Butterflies for the ‘ Fauna of British 
India,’ then edited hy Dr. Blanford, and on the death of the latter 
Bingham succeeded him as Editor of the series. Two volumes each 
were published, but the concluding volume on Butterflies remains un- 
finished. Since his retirement Bingham had suffered frequently from 
malaria, but though his health had been failing otherwise for some 
time, no serious consequences were feared till shortly before his death. 
He leaves a widow and two sons to mourn his loss—W. F. K. 
