on (he Bionomics of Southern Nigerian Insects. 325 Charles Ogilvie Farquharson, 1888-1918. By Prof. E. B. Poulton. The fine and accurate observer whose letters and collected material form the subject of the following memoir was born on February 13, 1888, on a farm at Murtle, in the valley of the River Dee, a few miles west of Aberdeen. At the age of about eleven he went to Kobert Gordon's Secondary School, where it is remembered that he worked well and took a good place; also that country walks were a greater attraction to him than games. In October, 1905, he entered the University of Aberdeen, at first as a student of English, Latin and Greek, but changing to Natural Science in July, 1907. His letters supply plenty of evidence that the two years at Classics had left a strong and lasting impression. Out of many passages I select the following because it also brings out his love for the insects he was studying. The name " farsimon," which filled him with horror, was given to a West African Lycaenid butterfly by no less an authority than Fabricius, the favourite pupil of Linnaeus. " ' Parsimon ' calls only for compulsory Greek for science students : [see also p. 398], There ought to be a sub-com-mittee of the ' Entomological ' for the protection of the good name of nice insects, with special reference to such fair masterpieces of Nature's handiwork as the Lycaenids. Yesterday I saw a beautiful ' Copper,' probably only a few hours after emergence [see p. 380]. It was simply too beautiful to capture. I hoped that one day I might breed a few out, to keep some and let the others away, just in case there might not be enough to keep the race going [Dec. 9, 1917]." After graduating as M.A. in 1908, Farquharson con-tinued his scientific work for the B.Sc. which he took " with special distinction in Botany," in 1911. He entered upon this science in April, 1908, and then first came under the influence of the great and inspiring teacher, the late Prof. James W. H. Trail, one who did not treat Botany as an isolated subject but always brought the relation between plants and animals before his pupils. Prof. Trail remembered that Farquharson, when a student, possessed " unusual power in distinguishing the essential from less
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