196 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



train his sons. While studying at the gymnasium, Dr. Marx 

 proved himself so proficient in botany, and at the same time so 

 able an artist, that to him was assigned the task of making the 

 illustrations for the Flora of Gross-Gerau. He became intensely 

 interested in this work, and began seriously to question his fitness 

 for the ministry. Soon after, he decided to change his career, 

 against his father's advice. He therefore took up the study of 

 pharmacy, as offering an opportunity for work in the line of bot 

 any. After completing his pharmaceutical studies at Giessen, he 

 came to America, in 1860. The civil war breaking out soon 

 afterward, he enlisted as a private in Company K, 8th New York 

 Volunteers, and remained with his company until after the battle 

 of Bull Run, July 21, 1861. His pharmaceutical and medical 

 knowledge becoming observed, he was transferred to the medical 

 corps as assistant surgeon shortly after Bull Run. It is said that 

 his letters to his parents during his early service contain such able 

 and graphic accounts of army movements and army life, that they 

 were printed in many German newspapers and excited a great 

 deal of attention. In July, 1862, he became disabled through 

 illness and through a severe wound, and was honorably discharged. 

 He returned to New York and began life as a pharmacist. In 

 1865 he took up his residence in Philadelphia, where he was 

 engaged in business until 1878. It was during his residence in 

 Philadelphia that he began to take an interest in the Arachnida 

 and commenced to form a collection. Here, also, in May, 1869, 

 he was married to Miss Minnie Maurer. In 1878 he came to 

 Washington to accept the position of natural-history draftsman in 

 the Department of Agriculture, and was attached to the force of 

 the Division of Entomology. Many of the plates and smaller fig 

 ures published by this division during the years 1878 to 1883 were 

 from his hand, and as a fair example of his skill as a natural- 

 history artist we would point out the plate on the Catalpa Sphinx 

 (Agric. Rept. for i88i-'82, plate xiii). In subsequent years he 

 worked more for other divisions. He remained in this position 

 until 1889, when he was made chief of the newly established 

 Division of Illustrations. This position he resigned shortly 

 before his death, which occurred January 3, 1895. 



Inspired by his intercourse with the members of the force of the 

 Division of Entomology, during his entire residence in Washing- 



