A. L. Melander.
John Merton Aldrich.
Psyche 41:133-149, 1934.

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PSYCHE
VOL. XLI SEPTEMBER 1934 No. 3
JOHN MERTON ALDRICH
BY A. L. MELANDER
On May 27, 1934, with the passing of John Merton Al- drich, the nation's greatest accumulation of dipterological information has ceased to be. Easily the leader in this branch of zoology, Aldrich will be missed, and there is no one in line who is prepared to continue, where he left off. At the age of sixty-eight, Aldrich still counted on several more years of productive work. His mind was as keen as ever,-and physically he had no intimation until two weeks before the end that an abrupt catabolic derangement was to close his life. He had even completed plans to start early in June on another of his biennial collecting trips to the Pa- cific Coast.
Aldrich was born on January 28, 1866, in Olmstead County, Minnesota. He attended school at Rochester, near by, and in 1888 completed the course for the B. A. degree at South Dakota State Collfege. In 1889-1890, he studied un- der Professor A. J. Cook at the Michigan State College, and in 1891 received the d,egree of M. S. from South Dakota State College. Leaving an assistantship at South Dakota in 1892, he went to the University of Kansas in order to study with Professor S. W. Williston, and was awarded anoth,er degree of M. S. in 1893.
In 1893 the new University of Idaho opened, and Aldrich was selected to found its Department of Zoology. He mar- ried Ellen Roe of Brookings, South Dakota, and moved to Moscow. Thle loss of his wife and infant son four years later caused him to plunge most deeply into his dipterolog- ical work, and he began his card catalogue of the literature on Diptera, a project to which he contributed almost daily



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134 Psyche [September
until his last illness. By 1905, when this catalogue had reached publication size and was about ready for submis- sion to the Smithsonian Institution, Aldrich married Della Smith of Moscow, Idaho, and securing sabbatical leave of absence from Idaho went to Stanford University for a year. His Ph. D. degree was awarded by Stanford in 1906. For- tunately Aldrich had moved his library and collection of Diptera to his father's house because during his absence the University of Idaho burned to the ground. Aldrich always regarded Moscow, Idaho, as home. He had built a beautiful house at the edge of the University campus facing Moscow Mountain, his best beloved collect- ing ground, and there had established his library and col- lection. He had every prospect of continuing his useful work at Idaho, when suddenly after twenty years of service as its most eminent professor his connection with the Uni- versity of Idaho was terminated. It is unnecessary now to reopen the sorry case and discuss the vagaries of an in- competent administration other than to recall that those of us who knew the situation well regarded the dismissal as an outrageous and unwarranted interference. Aldrich's ashes have been returned to Moscow, Idaho, and placed beside his first wife and his only child.
Idaho's self-inflicted loss proved to be the nation's gain. Dr. Howard immediately appointed Aldrich to the Bureau of Entomology, and for the next five years he was stationed at Lafayette, Indiana, to investigate life-histories of Osci- nidse and other Diptera affecting cereal crops. The death of Frederick Knab in 1918 made it necessary to transfer Aldrich to the National Museum, where he was appointed Custodian of Diptera and Associate Curator. In 1928 Aldrich presented to the National Museum his personal collection of Diptera, numbering 45,000 specimens and 4,000 named species. With this he donated the unique and extensive card catalogue of Diptera. This index is the only source of information on all the literature of all the American Diptera, and with its cross references to synon- ymy is invaluable to all workers. It brings the Aldrich catalogue of 1905 to date. His library is the most com- plete assemblage of books and articles on Diptera, and de-



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19341 John Merton Aldrich 137
servedly should be acquired by thte National Museum to complement the collection and index.
Aldrich always generously shared his library, records, specimens, and information. Most present day dipterists owe more to him than their printed words of thanks can im- ply. Beyond the tremendous wealth of specialized informa- tion he held regarding the Diptera he was versatile in many lines. He was devotedly interested in the All Souls' Unita- rian Church in Washington, of which he was a trustee, and conducted classes in religious history and 'education. He was keenly interested in politics and daily followed the do- ings of Congress. He was one of the organizers of the Thomas Say Foundation and served as editor from 1916 to 1931. He was secretary-treasurer of the Entomological So- city of America from 1915 to 1920, and President in 1921. In 1926 he was President of the Washington Entomological Society.
Aldrich had a remarkable gift of locating rare species on his collecting trips. His more extensive journeys included Utah and California, 1911 ; Alaska, 1921 ; Guatemala, 1926, and Sweden, 1930. He was meticulously careful in mount- ing specimens, in arranging the Museum collection, and in entering the records in his great index. His diary has daily
entries for some fifty years, not merely a line or two, but a careful description of the happenings that befall an eminent man.
The accompanying bibliography, transcribed from the card index by his secretary, Mrs. Willis, gives his publica- tions in chronological order. Outstanding in the list is the catalogue. This monumental work stimulated so many publications on the Diptera that its very importance in the progress of American entomology led to its rapid obsoles- cence. Would that its author could have been spared a few more years to give to all th<e codified information that he alone possessed. We regret his passing, but are thankful that such a man has lived and has been enabled to leave a permanent impress on science.
1. (with I. H. Orcutt). The Cutworm. Bull. South Da- kota Exp., Sta., 18, 1890. pp. 29-36.




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138 Psyche [ September
2. (with I. H. Orcutt). Injurious Insects. Bull. South Dakota Exp. Stat., 22, 1891, pp. 77-118. 3. (with I. H. Orcutt). Report of the Department of En- tomology. Bull. South Dakota Exp. Sta., 30, 1892, pp. 1-20.
4. A New Genus and Species of Tabanidse. Psyche, March, 1892, pp. 236-237, figs.
5. The Systematic Position of the Diptera. Science, April, 1892, vol. 19, pp. 244-245.
6. New Species of Phora. Canadian Ent., vol. 24, June, 1892, pp. 142-146, figs.
7. Revision of the Genera Dolichopus and Hygroceleuthus. Kansas Univ. Quart., vol. 2, July, 1893, pp. 1-26,l pi. 8. The Dolichopodid Genus Liancalus Lw. Psyche, Dlec., 1893, pp. 569-581.
9. New Genera and Species of Psilopinse. Kansas Univ.
Quart., vol. 2, 1893, pp. 47-50.
10. New Genera and Species of Dolichopodidse. Kansas
Univ. Quart., vol. 2, 1893, pp. 151-157. 11. Insecticides and Spraying. Bull. Idaho Exp. Sta., 7, 1894,18 pp.
12. Courtship Among the Flies. American Naturalist, vol. 28, 1894, pp. 35-37.
13. The Tipulid Genera Bittacomorpha and Peedicia. Psy- che, vol. 7, 1895, pp. 200-202, fig.
14. Family Dolichopodidse in Williston's Manual of Dip- tera. Second ed., 1896, pp. 76-81.
15. On the Diptera of St. Vincent (Dolichopodidse and Pho- ridse). Trans. Ent. Soc., London, 1896, pp. 309-345, and 435-439.
16. The Dipterous Genera Tachytrechus and Macellocerus. Trans. American Ent. Soc., March, 1896, vol. 23, pp. 81-84.
17. A Collection of Diptera from Indiana Caves. 21st Re- port Dept. Geol. and Nat'1.
Resources of Indiana,
1896, (pub. May, 1897), pp. 187-188, figs.



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19341 John Merton Aldrich 139
18. Report of Entomological Department. Annual Report Idaho Exp. Sta., 1898, pp. 167-176.
19. A Balloon-making Fly.
American Naturalist, vol. 33,
1899, pp. 809-812, figs.
20. The San Jose Scale in Idaho. Bull.
Idaho Exp. Sta.,
16, 1899, 16 pp.
21. Goniops and other Synonynls. Ent. News, vol. 11, Sept., 1900, p. 531.
22. A Question of Nomenclature.
Canadian Ent., vol. 32,
1900, p. 318.
23. The Codling Moth. Bull. Idaho Exp. Sta., 21, 1900, pp. 97-112.
24. Synonymical Notiz.
Wiener Ent. Zeit., vol. 20, 1901,
p. 68.
25. Crude Petroleum. The Elm Louse. The Pear Leaf Blister Mite. Bull. Idaho Exp. Sta., 26, 1901, pp. 13-24.
26. Dolichopodidse.
Biologia Central-Americana, Dipt. I,
Dec., 1901, pp. 333-366, 1 pi.
27. Dolichopodidae of Grenada, W. I.
Kansas Univ. Soc.
Bull., vol. 1, March, 1902, pp. 75-94, 1 pi. 28. The Formation of Generic Names.
Canadian Ent., 34,
1902, p. 129.
29. Garry DeN. Hough, M. D., Biographical Sketch with Portrait. Ent. News, vol. 14, Oct., 1903, pp. 246- 249.
30. A Contribution to the Study of North American Do- lichopodidse. Trans. American Ent. Soc., vol. 30. 1904, pp. 269-286.
31. [several new species of Phoridse] in Brues' Monograph of Phoridse. Trans. American Ent. Soc., vol. 29, Jan., 1904, pp. 331-404.
32. The Genus Psilopus of Authors.
Canadian Ent., vol.
36, Au~., 1904, pp. 246-247.
33. Grasshopper and Cricket Outbreaks in Idaho. Bull.
Idaho Exp. Sta., 41, 1904, pp. 289-304.




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140 Psyche [ September
34. Winter Spraying for the Apple Aphis. Bull. Idaho Exp. Sta., 40, 1904, pp. 271-288.
35. Jocular Entomology. Canadian Ent., vol. 36, 1904, p. 82.
36. A Catalogue of North American Diptera. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, No. 1444, vol. 46, 1905, pp. 1-680.
37. Baron Osten Sacken. Ent. News, vol. 17, Oct., 1906, pp. 269-272. (Obituary with portrait.)
38. The Dipterous Genus Calotarsa, with one New Species. Ent. News, vol. 17, April, 1906, pp. 123-127, 1 pi. 39. The Dipterous Genus Scellus, with one New Species. Ent. News, vol. 18, April, 1907, pp. 133-136. 40. Additions to my Catalogue of North American Diptera. Journ. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 15, March, 1907, pp. 1-9.
41. The Dipterous Family Helomyzidse.
Trans. American
Ent. Soc., vol. 34, April, 1908, pp. 67-100, 2 pis. 42. Meigen's First Paper on Diptera. Canadian Ent., vol. 40, Oct., 1908, pp. 370-373.
43. Family Dolichopodidse in Williston's Manual. Third
Ed., 1908, pp. 228-235, 1 pi., 37 figs.
44. The Fruit-infecting Forms of the Dipterous Genus Rhagoletis, with one Naew Species.
Canadian Ent.,
vol. 41, Feb., 1909, pp. 69-72, 1 pi.
45. A Decennial Confession. Canadian Ent., vol. 43, April, 1910, pp. 99-100.
46. The ~enus~o~est~lum. Ent. News, vol. 21, May, 1910, pp. 222-225.
47. A Revision of thle Dipterous Genus Hydrophorus. Psy- che, vol. 18, April, 1911, pp. 45-70, 1 pi. 48. The Dipterous Genus Diostracus Lw. Psyche, vol. 18, April, 1911, pp. 70-72.
49. Larvae of a Saturniid Moth used as food by California Indians. Journ. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 20, March, 1912, pp. 1-4, 1 pi.




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19341 John Merlon Aldrich 141
50. Flies of the Leptid Genus Atherix used as food by Cali- fornia Indians. Ent. News, vol. 23, April, 1912, pp. 159-163.
51. [Note on general non-acceptance in North America of Meigen's 1800 paper, and on Hendel's revolt against the Commission of Nomenclature! (without title). Canadian Ent., vol. 44, April, 1912, p. 104. 52. Note on Theronia fulvescens. Journ. Econ. Ent., vol. 5, Feb., 1912, pp. 87-88.
53. Two Western Species of Ephydra. Journ. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 20, June, 1912, pp. 100-103. 54. The Biology of Some Western Species of the Dipterous Genus Ephydra. Journ. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 20, June, 1912, pp. 77-99, 3 pis.
55. Collecting Notes from the Great Basin and Adjoining Territory. Ent. News, vol. 24, May, 1913, pp. 214- 221.
56. The North American Species of Lispa. Journ. New
York Ent. Soc., vol. 21, June, 1913, pp. 126-146. 57. A New Leucopis with Yellow Antennae. Journ. Econ. Ent., vol. 7, Oct., 1914, pp. 404-405. 58. Description of Sarcophaga kellyi. Journ. Agr. Re- search, vol. 2, Sept., 1914, pp. 443-445, 1 pi. 59. Results of 25 Years' Collecting in the Tachinidse, with Notes on some common species. Ann. Ent. Soc. America, vol. 8, March, 1915, pp. 79-84. 60. The Economic Relations of thle Sarcophagidae. Journ. Econ. Ent., vol. 8, April, 1915, pp. 242-246. 61. New American Species of Asteia and Sigaloessa. Psy- che, vol. 22, June, 1915, pp. 94-98, 2 figs. 62. The Deer Bot-Flies (Cephenomyia Latr.) . Journ. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 23, June, 1915, pp. 145-150, 1 pi. 63. A New Sarcophaga parasitic on Allorhina nitida. Journ. New York Ent. Soc., vol. 8, Feb., 1915, pp. 151-152, fig.
64. The Dipterous Genus Symphoromyia in North Amer- ica.
Proc. United Stataes Nat. Mus., vol. 49, July, 1916, pp. 113-142, with tsext figs.




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Psyche [ September
Sarcophaga and Allies in North America. Thomas Say Foundation, 1916, pp. 302, with 16 plates, index and historical sketch of the Foundation.
More Light on Myiophasia.
Proc. Ent. Soc. Washing-
ton, vol. 18, 1916, pp. 98-100, figs.
Two New Canadian Diptera.
Canadian Ent., vol. 48,
Jan., 1916, pp. 20-23.
Notes on Diptera. Psyche, vol. 25, 1918, pp. 30-35. Seasonal and Climatic Variation in Cerodonta. Ann.
Ent. Soc. America, vol. 11, March, 1918, pp. 63-66. The Anthomyid Genus Pogonomyia. Ent. News, vol. 29, May, 1918, pp. 179-185.
Two New Hydrotseas. Canadian Ent., vol. 50, Sept., 1918, pp. 311-314.
The Kelp-Flies of North America (Genus Fucellia, Family Anthomyiidse) . Proc. California Acad. Sci., vol. 8. Sept., 1918, pp. 157-179, 10 text figs. New and Little Known Canadian Oscinidse. Canadian Ent., vol. 50, Oct., 1918, pp. 336-344, figs. Sam,uel Wendell Williston.
Ent. News, vol. 29, Nov.,
1918, pp. 322-327.
The Dipterous Genus Imitomyia Tns.
(Himantostoma
Lw.) . Canadian Ent., vol. 51, 1919, p. 64. Leiomyza in North America. Ent. News, vol. 30, May, 1919, pp. 137-141, fig.
Two New Genera of Anthomyidse.
Proc. Ent. Soc.,
Washington, vol. 21, May, 1919, pp. 106-109, fig. Description of Hylemyia nidicola. Ann. Ent. Soc. America, vol. 12, 1919, pp. 380-381.
Samuel Wendell Williston, the Entomologist. Sigma
Xi Quarterly, vol. 7, no. 1, 1919, pp. 19-21. The European Frit Fly in North America. Journ. Agric. Research, vol. 18, Feb., 1920, pp. 451-472, 1 pi., figs.
The Muscoid Genera P~eu~euantha and Uramyia. Ins. Menst., vol. 9, March, 1921, pp. 83-92.




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19341 John Merton Aldrich 143
82. The Dipterous Genus Dolichopus in North America. Bull. United States Nat. Mus., 116, March, 1921, 304 pp., 16 pis., 471 figs. (with M. C. Van Duzee and F. R. Cole.)
83. Coloradia pandora Blake, A Moth of which the Cater- pillar is used as food by Mono Lake Indians. Ann. Ent. Soc. America, vol. 14, 1921, pp. 36-38. 84. The Division of Insects in the United States Nat. Mus. Ann. Rept. Smithsonian Inst., for 1919 (IWI), pp. 367-379, 15 pis.
85. Two-winged Flies of the Genera Dolichopus and Hy- drophorus collected in Alaska in 1921, with new Spe- cies of Dolichopus from North America and Hawaii. Proc. United States Nat. Mus., vol. 61, article 25, 1922, pp. 1-18.
86. A New Genus of Helomyzidse. Bull. Brooklyn Ent. SOC., vol. 17, 1922, pp. 108-109.
87. A New Genus of Two-winged Fly with Mandible-like Labella.
Proc. Ent. SOC. Washington, vol. 24, 1922, pp. 145-148.
88. The Neotropical Muscoid Genus Mesembrinella Giglio- Tos and other Testaceous Muscoid Flies. Proc. United States Nat. Mus., vol. 62, art. 11, Dec., 1922, pp. 1-24.
89. A New Tachinid Parasite of the Codling Moth. Ent.
News, vol. 34, 3.923, pp. 53-54.
90. Notes on the Dipterous Family Hippoboscidse. Ins.
Menst., vol. 11, 1923, pp. 75-79.
91. A New Sugar-cane Miner. Bull. Brooklyn Ent. Soc., vol. 18, 1923, pp. 22-23.
92. Two Asiatic Muscoid Flies parasitic on the so-called Japanese Beetle. Proc. United States Nat. Mus., vol. 63, art. 6, 1923, pp. 1-4.
93. New Genera of Two-winged Flies of the Subfamily Leptogastrinse of the Family Asilidse. Proc. United States Nat. Mus., vol. 62, art. 20, 1923, pp. 1-6. 94. A New Parasitic Fly Reared from the Bfean Beetle. Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 24, 1923, pp. 95-96.



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144 Psyche [September
95. A New Genus and Species of Fly Reared from the Hoof of the Carabao. Philippine Journ. Sci., vol. 22, 1923, pp. 141-142.
96. Descriptions of Lantana Gall-Fly and Lantana Seed- Fly. Proc. Hawaii Ent. Soc., vol. 5, 1923, pp. 261- 263.
97. The Present Status of Coquillett's Hypochasta longi- cornis Schin. Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 25, 1923, pp. 161-162.
98. The Genus Philornis, a Bird-infesting Group of An- thomyiidse. Ann. Ent. Soc., America, vol. 16, 1923, pp. 304-309, figs.
99. The North American Species of Parasitic Two-winged Flies Belonging to the Genus Phoroeera and Allied Genera. Proc. United States Nat. Mus., vol. 63, art. 17, Feb., 1924, pp. 1-90, fig.
100. The Museoid Genus Genea in North America. Ent. News, vol. 35, 1924, pp. 210-214.
101. Notes on Some Types of American Muscoid Diptera in the Collection of the Vienna Natural History Mu- seum. Ann. Ent. Soc. America, vol. 17, 1924, pp. 209-218.
102. A New Genus and Species of Two-winged Flies of the Family Chloropidse injuring Manihot in Brazil. Proc. United States Nat. Mus., vol. 65, art. 21, 1924, pp. 1-2
103. Braula cceca in Maryland Apiaries.
Journ. Washing-
ton Acad. Sci., vol. 14, 1924, p. 181.
104. Change of Preoccupied Names. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash- ington, vol. 26, 1924, p. 195.
105. Notes on North American Tachinidse. Ins. Ins. Menst., vol. 12, 1924, pp. 145-149.
106. A New Tachinid Parasite of a Cocoanut Moth in South Asia. Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, vol. 27, 1925, p. 13.
107. Notes on Some Types of American Muscoid Diptera in the Collection of the Vienna Natural History Mu- *
seum. (second installment.) Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer- ica, vol. 18, 1925, pp. 107-130.




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19341 John Merton Aldrich 145
108. A New Leucopis from San Francisco.
Pan Pacific
Ent., vol. 1, 1925, p. 152.
109. New Diptera or Two-winged Flies in the United States National Museum. Proc. United States Nat. Mus., vol. 66, 1925, art. 18, pp. 1-36.
110. Two New Species of the Tachinid Genus Lixophaga, with Notes and Key. Proc. Ent. Soc. Washington, VO~. 27, 1925, pp. 132-136.