SKETCH OF CARL SEMPER. 841 



solution of extremely important problems of animal morphology, 

 particularly those of segmentation, budding, and strobilation. 



Professor Semper did not succeed in obtaining general accepta- 

 tion of his views on the derivation of vertebrates, but the observa- 

 tions and arguments on the special point, and on general questions, 

 too, set forth in the works relating to them, exercised a remarkably 

 stimulating influence on the further discussion of the problems in- 

 volved. 



The second work in which Professor Semper considered the zo- 

 ological problems raised by Darwin's theory is the book on Animal 

 Life as affected by the ISTatural Conditions of Existence. The funda- 

 mental thought of this book, as defined by the author in his preface, 

 was that, as Jaeger had said, enough had been done in the way of 

 philosophizing by Darwinists, and the task now presented was to 

 apply the test of exact investigation to the hypotheses that had been 

 laid down. Without pretending to have made a complete pres- 

 entation, his end would be attained if he should have given an 

 impulse to research, on however small a scale, so long as it should 

 be systematically conducted and thoroughly carried out — " if only 

 it should contribute to extend my own conviction as to the use- 

 lessness of casual and disconnected observations." The book is de- 

 scribed by Dr. Schuberg as a remarkably stimulating one, and no 

 compilation; for, besides permeating and enriching the subject with 

 numerous new thoughts, he incorporated in it a very large number of 

 his own observations, made for the most part during his voyages. 

 Professor Semper further contributed to the literature of zoology 

 numerous smaller and special papers, a considerable proportion of 

 which, his own, or composed with the co-operation of his pupils, were 

 published in the Arbeiten aus dem Zoologisch Institut in Wiirzburg. 

 The whole list of his writings, as given by Dr. Schuberg in the biog- 

 raphy published in that journal, comprises ninety titles. 



Professor Semper contributed also to other fields of literature. 

 His journeys in the Philippine Islands took him into regions rarely 

 visited by Europeans, and of the anthropology and ethnology of 

 which little was known. He included these features within the 

 range of his studies, and was able to cast considerable light upon 

 them. Besides single essays, two works are especially worthy of 

 notice as fruits of his industry in these lines of research — The Philip- 

 pine Islands and their Inhabitants, which treats of the geographical 

 and ethnological aspects of the group; and The Pelew Islands of the 

 Pacific Ocean, presenting a corresponding view of that still less 

 known region. In 1869 he became one of the editors of the 

 Archiv fur Anthropologic. Considerable literary value also attaches 

 to his academical lectures. 



