Evening star., 1895-09-16
PROFESSOR RLEY's DEATH
He Never Recovered Consciousness After
His Terrible Fall.
Eminent as an Bhtomologist, Whose
Asriculturi.t. Everywhere.

Prof. C. v. Riley, who was thrown from
his bicycle Saturday morning at the corner
of Connecticut avenue and 10Th street, died
at midnight of the,satne day from the in
juries he received without regaining con-
sc,ousness. The force of his terrible fall
fractured his skull at the base of the brain.
In the death of Prof. Riley practical sci
ence loses one Of It's most original investi-
gators and entomology it's most brilliant
and successful expor ent.
Prof. Riley was an Englishman, having
been born in Chelsea, London. He was ed
ucated in France and Germany, and early
displayed a remarkable aptitude for both
natural history and art. He carried off the
first prizes in drawing at Dieppe. in France.
ard Bonn, in Germany, but withstood the
advices of his instructors to follow art as a
profession and devoted himself TO the prac-
tical and exhaustive investigation Of insect
life and it's disastrous effects upon agricul-
ture and the determination as to the means
by which such ravages could be prevented.
He came to America to follow his chosen
craft, and settled on a farm near Chicago.
When the war broke cut he enlisted as a
private in the 134th Illinois volunteers and
served as such from 1861 to 1865. In 1858
he was appointed state entomologist of
Missouri, and there began a career which
quickly attracted the attention Of scientI
and AGRICULTURAL economists throughout the
civilized world. He was the first to examine
and report upon the characteristics of the
various insects SO common and fatal to cul-
tivated fields, and rapidly gained reputa-
ton for absolute accuracy in his conclu-
sions regarding them. When the locusts
swept through the western states during the
seventies Prof. Riley proceeded to their
study, and his reports upon their habits and
history resulted In the creation by Congress
of a commission to investigate the pests.
This body consisted Of Prof Riley. Prof.
Cyrus Thomas and Dr. A. 8. Packard.
While experimenting the publication OF the
first report of the commission In 1873, Prof.
Riley was made the entomologist Of the
agricultural bureau by commissioner LIE
Due.
He resigned after while to take the
superintendency of the cotton commission,
but returned to his position in June, 1881,
where he remained until a year ago. when
he rendered his resignation, and devoted
himself to private work in line with his
profession. He was the inventor of the
Riley system of nozzles, universally used
for spraying insecticides. and almost every
prepal alton now holding favor with agri-
culturalists for the purpose of preventing
the ravageS of insect pests are made from
formulae advised by him. He was a ready
and voluminous writer in his field, and his
two thousand. He was the founder and
first president of the Entomologist Society
Of Washington one of the founders of the
Biological Society. a member of the Ameri-
can Agricultural Society. the Association
of Scientific Agriculturists, the Philo-
sophical and Anthtopological societies of
this city. end a fellow of the American
Philosophical Society, the American Asso-
citation for the Advancement of Science and
number of others. For his eminent serv-
ices in the study Of the great phylloxera
he was presented, by the French govern
ment in 1873 with a gold medal struck in
his honor and in 1884 he received the gold
medal of the international exhibition of
forestry. held at Edinburgh, Scotland.
He was honorary curator of the section
Of entomology in the National Museum, and
had presented to that Institution one of the
most valuable chronological collections in
the world.
Prof. Riley, while completely devoted to
his life work. was peculiarly free from
anything like hobby. He was socially
popular. member of several clubs. among
others the Cosmos. 1t was in his domestic
relations that he was happiest. His devo-
tion to the children and wife was the sub
ject of pleasant remark even among those
who were strangers to them, and merely
saw the superficial evidences of it.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow
afternoon at o'clock at his late residence,
2135 Wyoming avenue.