Richard Charles Faris 1911-1984Author(s): J. P. O'ConnorSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 23, No. 2 (Apr., 1989), pp. 37-38Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25539353 .

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THE IRISH NATURALISTS' JOURNAL

Vol.23 APRIL 1989 No. 2

OBrruARY

RICHARD CHARLES FARIS 1911-1984

Plate 2. Richard Charles Faris 1911-1984.

I first met Charlie Faris in the late 1970s. We became friends and occasionally met to

talk about insects. He had a great love for and knowledge of the group. In addition, I was

always greatly impressed by his wide interests and expertise in natural history. These

abilities had been recognised by Praeger (1949) who praised him as "a valued observer in a

region in which naturalists are and have been few" adding that, in conjunction with his wife.

he "has added considerably to our knowledge of the distribution of the flowering plants" of

Co Cavan. Many of his plant records are reported by Praeger (1939, 1946). Some

specimens collected by him are in the Herbarium (DBN) at the National Botanic Gardens,

Glasnevin, Dublin, where he was valued for his knowledge of wild and cultivated plants. A solicitor by profession, he became interested in natural history through the

encouragement of A. W. Stelfox and published notes on a wide variety of topics in the Irish

Naturalists'Journal (e.g. Faris 1936,1940,1943,1944,1956,1974a, 1974b). Most of his

working life he lived at Farrinseer, Co Cavan but later, in semi-retirement, he moved to

Shankill, Co Dublin, and then to the Roundwood area of Co Wicklow. Although a keen

observer of plants, mammals and birds, his most important scientific contributions were in

the field of entomology. He added two species of dragonfly to the Irish list (Faris 1943,

Faris and O'Rourke 1946) and captured the second Irish specimen of the beetle Metoecus

paradoxus L. after noting its unusual flight along a lane (Faris 1974c).

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38 Ir. Nat. J. Vol. 23 No. 2 1989

He possessed a deep and abiding love tor sawflies (Symphyta) and had a marvellous

talent for rearing them. He collected this group and other insects in many parts of Ireland,

discovering many species new to the country. He submitted much of his sawfly material to

the late R. B. Benson for identification. Benson (1951, 1952, 1958) published many of

these records in his handbooks adding greatly to our knowledge of the Irish sawfly fauna.

By the time I met Charlie Faris he had already presented his large and important collection of Irish insects to the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, Scotland. When he

made this decision there was no entomologist in the National Museum of Ireland. A few

months previously he had visited the RSM and had been impressed by the entomological research being carried out there. Subsequently, he was delighted when the RSM, with his

permission, transferred a collection of duplicate Faris sawflies to the NMI, greatly enriching the National Collection. Later he presented the NMI with an invaluable collection of manuscript material, dealing mainly with Irish sawflies, together with some insects which were still in his possession. Research on material collected by him is still yielding

species new to Ireland (e.g. Liston and Speight 1981). He was a gentleman of great courage and in his later years he suffered his final illness

with dignity and lack of complaint. My last conversation with him was on the telephone, when he rang me with great excitement concerning the discovery of a rare bumblebee near his home. He was to bring the specimen into the Museum on his next visit to Dublin but

sadly died before he could keep that appointment. I miss him greatly and will always remember him with affection as a very kind and talented naturalist.

J. P. O'CONNOR

REFERENCES

Benson, R. B.(1951. 1952, 1958) Hymenoptera 2. Symphyta. Handbk Ident. Br. Insects 6(2a-c). R. ent: Sue,, London.

Faris. R. C. (1936) Records of some bees, wasps and ants from County Cavan, in 1933. //*. Nat. J. 6: 143-145. -.-^? < 1940) Some further bee, wasp and ant records from County Cavan, Jr. "Nat. J. 7; 286-289.

..-(1943) A dragonfly new to'Ireland, Svmpemtm fonscolomhu Selys. Ir. Nat. J. 8: 114. ?? (1944) Quails in County Cavan. Jr. Nat. J. 8: 179-180.

-(1956) Insects in a Kerry heat-wave. Ir. Nat. J. 12: 65-68. .?

(1974a) Carex clongatu L. in Counties Leitrim and Cavan. //*. Nat. J. 18: 92-93. -~-(1974b) Spiranthes romanzoffuma Cham, at Caragh Lake, South Kerry. //*. Nat. J. 18: 93. -??

(1974c)'Metoecus-pamdoxusL. in CiyDublin. Jr. Nat. J, 1$: 95. '

?? & O'Rourke, F, J. (1946) Orthetrum cuncelkitum L., a dragonfly new to Ireland, and other dragonfly notes From Connaught. 7i\ Nat- J<8: 387-390.

Liston, A. D.'.'&' Speight. M. C, D. (1981.) Records of some Irish sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) based on material in the Royal Scottish Museum, including 12 species new to Ireland, Ir. Nat. J. 20: 317-321.

Praeger, R. L (1939) A further contribution to the flora of Ireland. Proc. R. Ir. Acad, 45B: 231-254, ?.- (1946) Additions.to the knowledge, of the Irish flora, 1939-1945. Proc. R. Jr. Acad. SIB: 27-51,

SUMMER FOOD OF OTTERS IN THE LAKES OF KILLARNEY

J. S, Fairley and B. Murdoch

Department of Zoology, University College, Galway

On 22; 23 and 24 June 1987 we collected otter droppings (or spraints) around the lakes of Killarney, Co Kerry, mainly from five areas, the locations of which may be discerned from Fig, i.

Laune mouth. This site consists of about 600m of the shore of Lough Leane around the outflow of the River Laune. Spraints were taken from the tops of boulders projecting above the water near the shore.

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