The Irish Naturalist. December, 192 1. 



OBITUARY. 



REV. CANON W. W. FLEMYNQ, M.A. 



In the death of Canon Flemyng, which took place at Coolfin, Portlaw^ 

 Co. Waterford, on 6th September last, in his seventy-second year, Irish 

 naturalists have sustained a loss which will be difficult to replace. William 

 Westropp Flemyng was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he 

 took his degree of B.A. in 1871, and M.A. in 1874. He entered the ministry 

 in 1880 for the curacy of Clonegam, and on the incumbency becoming 

 vacant in 1883, he was appointed rector, so that hi& cannection with the 

 parish extended over a period of forty years. 



At an early age he took a keen interest in natural history, and during 

 his college days in Dublin explored the surrounding country for birds' 

 eggs, butterflies and moths, and plants. On his appointment to Portlaw 

 the new curate cannot but have been delighted with his surroundings, 

 for the rectory adjoined the vast demesne of Curraghmore, the seat of 

 the Marquesses of Waterford for many generations, and an ideal hunting- 

 ground for all kinds of animal and plant life. Before long he had explored 

 the woods, the heaths, and the fields of this delectable country and was 

 able to record therefrom for the first time several rare creatures. Soon 

 after settling down in his new home he made the acquaintance of tht 

 late R. J. Ussher, and accompanied him many a lime in his excursions 

 Thus the Saltee Islands, off the Wexford coast, and the Islands of i'Kane 

 off the coast of Waterford, were visited more than once, and a rich harvese 

 of sea-birds' eggs secured. But Canon Flemyng aspired to be more 

 than a mere collector. He acquired a library on the subjects dear to 

 his heart, and kept his knowledge up to date by subscribing to the various 

 journals of natural history. He contributed short notes to these magazines 

 from time to time, and corresponded with some of the leading English 

 entomologists, notably the late J. W. Tutt, for whose monumental work 

 " A Natural History of the British Lepidoptera," he suppHed a list ol 

 W aterford species. It is to be regretted that a man so accomplished and 

 well versed in natural history, and having so many oppurtunities and such 

 a rich tract of country at his door to explore, did not do still more to 

 advance science. Perhaps it may have been for the want of a kindred 

 spirit, or the sympathy that incites to great deeds. 



It was in the nineties that the writer, then a youth, had the pleasure 

 of first meeting with this charming country parson, and the friendship 

 tiien formed was kept up through the years. Many happy hours were 

 spent looking tl rough his exquisitely arranged collections or hunting 

 for rare lepidoptera in the woods of Curraghmore. 



It was to Flemyng's guidance and encouragement that the writer of 

 this notice was prevailed upon to take up the study of entomology in 

 earnest, a study which has been to him a source of perennial enjoyment. 

 The Bishop of Cashel, Dr. Miller, in a truly worthy funeral tribute, summed 

 up Flemyng's life as " one of beauty, goodness, and truth." 



L. H. B.-W. 



