August, *18] 
OBITUARY 
391 
conducted by him were those on the corn wireworm, Horistonotus 
uhleri, afterwards completed by Mr. E. H. Gibson under the direction 
of Mr. W. R. Walton, Entomologist in Charge, Cereal and Forage 
Insect Investigations. 
The following is a copy of the letter of Major Portal: 
No. 16 Eqn. R. A. F., B. E. F. 
April 12th. 
Dear Mr. King: 
I am extremely sorry to have to tell you that your son, Lieut. V. 
King, was killed in action in an air fight yesterday, April 11, at 5.20 
p. m. 
He was flying as an observer to Captain Jones, the most experienced 
pilot in the Squadron and they were attacked and shot down by three 
enemy scouts. Your son put up a great fight, firing 250 rounds at the 
hostile machines, but they could not cope with odds of three to one for 
long, and were eventually shot down. Your son lived for about one- 
half hour, but never regained consciousness. 
We are extremely sorry to lose him, as he was very popular with all 
ranks of the Squadron. Always keen and cheerful, he set a splendid 
example to everyone, and did much to keep up the high spirits which 
this unit has always shown. 
We brought his body in last night and he will be buried by the side of 
his pilot and many other brave men from this Squadron at Aubigny, 
near here, on the road from Arras to St. Pol. 
Please accept on behalf of the whole Squadron our deepest sympathy 
in your sad loss. 
Yours very sincerely, 
(signed) C. F. A. Portal (Major), 
35 Whitehill Road, Graves Ent. 
Current Notes 
Mr. A. K. Pettit of the Dallas, Texas, laboratory of the Bureau of Entomology has 
enlisted in the Coast Artillery. 
Mr. Ottomar Reinecke, who has published lists of Coleoptera, of Buffalo, N. Y., 
died November 26, 1917, aged seventy-seven years. 
Mr. E. H. Gibson of the Bureau of Entomology has been commissioned a lieutenant 
in the Sanitary Corps of the United States Army. 
According to Science, Dr. W. D. Funkhouser (Cornell) has been appointed head of 
the department of zoology at the University of Kentucky. 
The degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) was conferred upon Surgeon-General Wil¬ 
liam C. Gorgas by New York University at its recent commencement. 
