OBITUARY NOTICE OP THE REV. FREDERICK WILLLVM HOPE.
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should lead him to indulge to a certain degree beyond the range of natural objects is not
surprising; and in collecting the portraits of distinguished naturalists, he was led also to
those who had eminently cultivated other branches of science, the arts, and literature, and
in the course of time led him to the formation of a most remarkable collection of engraved
portraits and topography, consisting of more than 200,000 specimens. The portraits have
been estimated to be not fewer than 140,000, and the topographical engravings nearly 70,000,
whilst the engravings in natural history are between 20,000 and 30,000 in number. The
portraits are arranged, according to the subjects for which the individuals were peculiarly
distinguished, in Solander cases, the larger in portfolios and guard books. These have all
been given to the University of Oxford, and are open to the inspection of the public, for
which he anxiously stipulated. He has been no less liberal in regard to his vast collection
of drawings in natural history and topography, and to these are attached his books, forming
a very extensive library of works in all branches of natural history, which serve to elucidate
his museum. I recollect that when in London, I have seen him at his daily occupation,
devoting himself to a case of insects, for they required attention at least once a year to be
preserved from destruction—so fragile is their nature. He had a case, he used to tell me,
for every day in the year; and latterly, in the arrangement of his engraved portraits, etc.,
he was happy in having as his assistant his amiable and enlightened partner, whose undeviating
attention to his pursuits and constant care of his health under great infirmity wei-e
the admiration of all who had the happiness to enjoy their society and friendship. Of the
Entomological Society of London Mr. Hope was a founder, and he published various papers
in the Transactions of that Society; also in the Proceedings of the Linnsean Society; and
a distinct work, in tlu-ee volumes 8vo, on the Classification of Coleopterous Insects. Highly
gratifying as it would be to me to dwell upon these researches, I must yet forbear, as they
do not come under the denomination of those to which our attention is particularly directed.
I cannot, however, withhold the mention of a work which is only in MS. at present [as
it is still in 1874], but which I trust may some day be put before the public, as interesting
to all classes and to all readers—his Entomologia Sacra—in which the character of, and
tlie antiquities connected with, all species of insects referred to in Holy Writ are most
precisely and learnedly discoursed of
Mr. Hope was most liberal in his communications to other naturalists, and it would lie
difficult to form any estimate of the aid given by him to many authors in the production
of then- works ^ Looking over some of his MSS.—many of which are fragmentary, but of
considerable value, left to the University, and I may venture to hope to form the nuclei of
futm-e essays—I found one, in rough notes, of contributions rendered to the late amiable
' [In proof of this statement it may be mentioned that Mr. Hope's name appears in almost every page of Gravenhorst's
work in 3 volumes, ' Ichneumonologia Europsea,' 1829, as a contributor of British Species of Icbneumonid«, which
he had collected to a very large extent. In like manner his name appears as a very extensive contributor of exotic
species of Curculionidse to Schonherr's Work on that Group, in 14 volumes; and also in M. Gory's great works on the
Cetoniidffi and Buprestidae.—J. 0. W.]
Mr. Kirby, for his admirable Bridgewater Essay. Many have readily acknowledged the
services Mi-. Hope had rendered to them. Mr. Yarrell takes special notice of tlie assistance
he had received in his works on British Birds and Fishes; Mr. Stephens on English Insects;
Dr. Royle in his work on the Himalayas; in the remarks on the Entomo-geograpky of India,
and others at home and abroad. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society, of the Linmean,
took a warm part in the establishment of the Zoological Society [1826], and was elected
President of the Entomological Society [1835]. Many foreign academies and societies enrolled
his name in their lists, and we have had the honour of his name from the commencement
of our labours. I look back with pride at having introduced him into our Association ;
and for a short time he was a member of om' Council. Had his health permitted of a continued
residence in England, we should doubtless have benefited much from his exertions.
We had, however, the great satisfaction of seeing him at our Congress at Slu-ewsbury, and
he was present on occasion of our visit to Uriconium. I had the pleasure of passing a week
with him, after that Congress, at the seat of his brother, Mr. Hope-Edwardes, at Netley in
Shropshire; and it is with much gratification we find that gentleman's name in the list of
our Associates.
The state of his health rendered a residence abroad absolutely necessary to him; but
he followed up with unabated assiduity his attention to natural history. Nice, the climate
of which appeared to be congenial to his ii-ame, offered him abundant opportunities of collecting
fish and crustacea to add to his collections. At Naples, in 1851, he printed a
Catalogue dei Crostacei Italiani e di molti altri del Mediterraneo, which is highly important
in regard to the identification of species and the establishment of their habitats.
Many of these are for the first time recorded and named. He also published in Italian
Descrizione di alcime Specie cV Insetti Fossili, in a memou' presented to the Academy degli
Aspiranti Naturalisti in 1847.
Mr. Hope's zeal sustained him to the last; but nature was exhausted, and on the 15th
of April, 1862, at the age of sixty-five years, he expired. To a naturally weak system, I
fear his subsequent ill state of health to have been much produced by his energetic temperament,
his eagerness in the pursuit of laiowledge, and particularly in his researches in
Holland, where he was attacked with ague in a virulent form. From that time I sensibly
observed his failure : he also, ni making collections at Nice, met with an accident, fell into
the water, and barely escaped with life. All told now heavily upon him, yet his desire to
improve and add to his collections was constant; and, when unable any longer to move
about, he Avas to be found examining catalogues and sending commissions to sales, to render
complete those vast accumulations which will serve to hand down his name to posterity
with honour and approbation.