600 Scientific News. [ September, 
in a foot-note a short account of Martinus Slabber, the original 
describer of the species, which we copy: 
“ Martinus Slabber was born in 1741, probably at Middleburg. 
In 1767 we find him elected a member of the Hollandische- 
Maatschappye der Wetenschappen. He was then called ‘ Bailleuw 
en Secretaris te Baarland en Bakendorp, en Secretaris te Oude- 
land. Int he was a member of ‘ Zeeuwsch Genootschap der 
Wetenschappen te Vliessingen. In 1793 keeping the above, 
named charge, he seems to have removed to the town Goés, 
where we find him in 1807 as ‘Raad der Stadt.’ He died in 
Gravenpolden in 1835, aged 94 years. All these places are situ- 
ated on the isle of Walcheren.” 
A list of his published works, six in number, is also given. 
Slabber, we would here note, was the first to figure the zoea of 
Crustacea—- 7. S. K. 
— Locusts are reported as doing much damage in Southern 
Russia in June; also swarms of locusts appeared in North-west 
India,, by advices received in London, in April. Swarms of 
locusts have likewise recently appeared in Armenia; news from 
Elizabethpol states that both the banks of the river Kur were com- 
pletely covered with the insects as far as Terter on the one bank, 
and as far as Akstafa on the other. All vegetation is devastated. 
— Ina posthumous paper by Frederic Smith it is stated that 
the general aspect of the Hymenopterous fauna of the Hawaiian 
islands is North American, with admixture of a few South Ameri- 
can forms. The ants are most diverse in character, some being 
cosmopolitan in range. The house ant of Madeira is common, 
and the little European ant (Ponera contracta) also occurs there. 
—The well known British entomologist, Frederick Smith, 
assistant keeper of the Zodlogical Department, British Museum, 
London, died Frebuary 16, aged 72. 
— Prof. Lawrence Smith has been elected by the French 
Academy, correspondent in mineralogy, in room of the late Sir 
Charles Lyell. | 
— Dr. Page, Prof. of Geology at Durham, died at his resi- 
dence, Newcastle-on-Tyne, lately. Prof. Page was a voluminous 
writer on geology and the physical sciences. He was long con- 
nected with Messrs, Chambers, of Edinburgh, and many years 
ago his name was a good deal associated with the scientific basis 
