John Leech, an English artist, born in London about 1817, died Oct. 29, 1864. He was educated at the Charterhouse, and soon after the establishment of "Punch" brought himself into notice by his humorous illustrations for that serial. Several thousand sketches, illustrating the politics, fashions, and follies of the day, testify to the industry of his pencil and the fertility of his invention; and the greater part of these, though hastily thrown off, have artistic merit as well as humor, the drawing and expression being in most cases excellent. The social extravagances of England never found a more apt or kindly delineator; but in sporting scenes, particularly those in which the horse is introduced, he was preeminent. He was connected with " Punch " almost from its establishment, and from time to time he published collections of his pictorial contributions to its columns, entitled " Pictures of Life and Character, from the Portfolio of Mr. Punch," each containing 500 woodcuts. He illustrated several of Albert Smith's novels, the "Comic History of England," etc, and published under his own name, " The Rising-Generation, a Series of Twelve Drawings on Stone " (1848), and other works.