52 



JOHN SANG. 



The North of England has for more than half a century been remark- 

 able for the number of hard-working entomologists it has produced. 

 For quite fifty years there has been an unbroken succession of them, 

 keeping the northern district far in advance, entomologically, of any 

 otlier part of the country, excepting the metropolis. Not among the 

 very first of this band of workers, but still early in the field, was John 

 Sang, whose death in the early part of last year left a gap that will 

 not be easy to fill up. Though a native of the county of Durham, 

 and best known for his work round Darlington, where he was born 

 on March 3rd, 1828, and where he resided most of his life, he did 

 not commence his entomological career there. In the year 1843 he 

 went to Wakefield to ' serve his time ' as a draper, and during the 

 six years of his residence in that town were sown the seeds of that 

 love of music and of entomology that afterwards filled up so much of 

 his life. In 1848 he took a specimen of Deilephila celerio^ o which 

 he was accustomed to point with pride and pleasure as one of his 

 most valued insects — valued especially because he had taken it 

 himself. In 1849-50 he resided in Manchester, and during that year 

 he began to study entomology in a more scientific manner than 

 before, and also commenced the formation of a collection in earnest. 

 On his return to Darlington he commenced business as a draper, 

 ultimately realizing a modest competency, which enabled him to devote 

 all his time to his favourite pursuits. In 1882 he had the misfortune 

 not only to lose his savings, but he was obliged to part with his 

 collection to enable him to meet an obligation he had incurred 

 through becoming security for his brother-in-law. He then accepted 

 an engagement with Dr. Mason, of Burton-on-Trent, to re-card the 

 Rye collection of Coleoptera, and subsequently to figure Coleoptera 

 and dissections. In this work he was still engaged at the time of his 

 death. Such is a very brief account of his life. He was never married, 

 residing with his sister till her death, and subsequently alone. 



Perhaps the most remarkable thing about John Sang was his 

 memory. When a boy he gave a proof of this by repeating the 

 whole of a small History of England, and as a reward for this feat 

 he was taught French and Latin, which were of great service to him 

 subsequently in his entomological studies. Later in Hfe he added 

 German to these, and of all he had a very thorough knowledge. In 

 his musical studies his memory served him so that he could sing or 

 play the greater part of the twelve principal oratorios performed by 



Naturalist, 



