Collett first became interested in beetles, while apprenticed to G. Henry in Hastings as a student dentist, through contact with the Rev. E.N.Bloomfield. Subsequently he became friendly with E.A.Butler who also introduced him to the study of Hemiptera. It was while living on the south coast that he had an accident resulting in the loss of his right eye. Harry Britten, in an obituary in EMM., 73, 1937, p.92 recorded that 'he was well known to the old collectors, and loved to recount interesting outings with Edward Saunders, T.R.Billups, and others of that period... Later his professional career claimed his time, and after qualifying as a dentist he came to Manchester in 1885. During the War he went to live at Windermere, where fishing for Char formed his chief recreation, though he also took a keen interest in war medals, forming a large collection, and was considered an expert on this subject. From 1916 until the death of his friend E.A.Butler he collected all the Hemiptera around Windermere and district and sent them to his friend...'Collett published annual notes on the Coleoptera of the Hastings district in the EMM. for three years from 1881, in which he was helped by his brother H.F.Collett (see below). Britten, who clearly knew Collett reasonably well, mentions that he resumed publishing notes in the EMM., after a period of fifty years, in 1935. This is surprising and appears to be a mistake, because all three articles in the magazine in that year are recorded as by H.R.Collett (see below). The last piece by E.P.Collett of which I know is 'Coccinella labilis in the Hastings district’ (ibid., 18, 1881, p.139.)Collett's collection is now in the Manchester Museum and according to Hancock, E.G. and Pettit,C.W. (1981), is supported by very poor data. They note that according to a note published in 1911 the collection was already in Manchester at that time along with the Hemiptera. Apart from the obituary already mentioned there are others in Arb. morph. taxon. Ent. Berl., 4, 1937, p.241 and in NWN.,12, 1937, pp.63-64. (MD 3/02)
Dates
1863-3 January 1937)