THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 53 



DR. CHRISTIAN ZIMMERMANN. 



BY H. A. HAGEN, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 



There exists no biography nor necrology of this excellent entomologist, 

 as far as known to me, though he lived for thirty-nine years in the United 

 States. I am much indebted to Dr. Geo. C. Horn for Zimmermann's note- 

 book, which, with his library, came into the hands of the late Dr. J. L. 

 Leconte. 



Only a very short abstract of the contents, which are written wholly in 

 German, can be given. The entries begin with Zimmermann's earliest 

 boyhood and end in 1843, followed by a few pages for 1865. The narrow 

 pages contain only the substances of events in short phrases, often very 

 cutting, both for Europe and for America. If the whole could be pub- 

 lished, it would give a very interesting picture of the life of an excellent 

 naturalist, always kept down and hindered by want and ill-luck, but always 

 ready to " begin again." It is sad that such a life, akin to the remarkable 

 histories of former ages published by the masterhand of G. Freytag, should 

 have been possible in the 19th century — a continuous struggle of a noble 

 soul with continuous misfortune. 



Christian Zimmermann was born in Quedlinburg, Prussia, September 

 6, 1800. His father and three generations before him were carpenters, as 

 the name indicates ; all were born and died in Quedlinburg. Christian 

 entered the gymnasium in 181 1, and graduated in 1821. The note-book, 

 May 26, 1814, says : " I am to-day 5000 days old." (He always counts 

 his life, both in Europe and here, by the 1000 days.) The collection of 

 beetles begins, and the study of music. His talent for music must have 

 been obvious, as one year later he played the organ for the church- service, 

 and studied thorough bass. When he graduated he writes : " Up to this 

 time my money was made by keeping score for target-shooting, teaching 

 children, giving music-lessons, organ-playing, copying music, furnishing 

 music at funerals, stuffing birds." 



His parents, who were poor, proposed that he should choose a pro- 

 fession ; but determined to study, he went to Halle, where he stayed as 

 student from 1821 to 1825. He passed his examination after having 

 attended the lectures in theology, philology and philosophy, but his ento- 

 mological studies were never neglected. 



In 1827 he published his first music, a Polonaise. When he left Halle 

 in 1828, he was already acquainted with a large number of eminent 



