THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



75 



Mr. Johnson graduated as B.A. in December, 1876, and as M.A. 

 in April, 1880; taking Holy Orders in 1879, and was ordained on 

 Trinity Sunday of that year by the present primate, the Bishop of 

 Down. 



In 1 88 1 Mr. Johnson's services were transferred to Armagh 

 Cathedral Grammar School, as principal — *which important position 

 he now occupies. Shortly afterwards Mr. Johnson was appointed 

 Junior Vicar Choral of Armagh Cathedral, and in January, 1882, he 

 became Senior Vicar Choral ; this office, we may explain, corresponds 

 to that of Minor Canon in our English Cathedrals. 



Mr. Johnson appears to have taken up the study of Entomology 

 early in lile, as he tells us that in 1863, he commenced the collecting 

 ot Lepidoptera. The only living specimen of Colias edusa ever seen 

 at Armagh was captured in 1877. It appeared in the cricket field 

 while a match was proceeding. We give Mr. Johnson's account of 

 what took place : — " I had just finished bowling the over when I saw 

 Edusa going at full speed across the field. Fortunately I had my net 

 with me ; I seized it, and set off at top speed after the butterfly. I 

 overtook it at the summit of a hill which rises from the cricket field, 

 when away it went at right angles, after the manner of Edusa. How- 

 ever, I knew this little trick, so was after it at once. Close by was 

 the road, for which it was making straight. If it got across, I knew I 

 should be pretty well done, for the road was below the level of the 

 fields on either side ; I should have a drop on one side and a climb 

 over eight-foot walls on the other. I therefore put on a tremendous 

 spurt and came up with it just at the road. I struck at and caught 

 it, but, missing my footing, rolled headlong into a ditch of nettles, 

 amid loud applause from the school boys. The most curious thing in 

 the whole proceeding was that the net was not injured, nor the butterfly 

 damaged, neither was I stung by the nettles." 



In 1884 he turned his attention to Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and 

 other Orders. In collecting Coleoptera Mr. Johnson has added a 

 considerable number of new species to the Irish list, and his efforts in 

 this direction are the more meritorious inasmuch that he has to work 

 almost alone, having no public collection wherewith to refer for the 

 purpose of identifying his captures. We must not omit to mention 

 that Mrs. Johnson also renders him very able assistance in the study. 



As an ardent and untiring collector of Coleoptera Mr. Johnson 

 cannot be excelled, and during winter he frequently takes long walks 

 for the purpose of procuring species found in moss. He recently 

 wrote us : — " I have trudged seven miles to-day and brought home a 

 large bag full of moss, in the home of getting some more Psclaphus 

 Dvesdensis for my friends, but I have not been successful. I suppose 

 the weather is too cold. However, I shall go again as soon as I get 



