1924. Obituary. 39 



OBITUARY. 



Marcus Hartog. 



All Irish naturalists will learn with deep regret of the death on January 

 22nd, in Paris of iNIarcus Hartog, for 39 years Professor at Cork. Born 

 75 years ago of an academic family, Hartog had a brilliant career as a 

 biologist. Graduating from Trinity College, Cambridge, with first class 

 honours in the Natural Science Tripos in 1874, he was appointed Assistant 

 Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Ceylon Ir 1879 he was demon- 

 strator in Natural History at Owen's College, Manchester, where he 

 remained until his appointment in 1882 to the Chair of Natural History 

 in Queen's College, Cork. On the Chair being divided in 1909, he became 

 Professor of Zoology, being made Emeritus Professor on his retirement 

 in 1921. 



Wide as was his biological knowledge iii the three kindred branches, 

 geology, botany and zoolog}', his learning was by no means limited to 

 this field, for in addition to reading five or six languages and writing in 

 at least three, he was an insatiable reader, and a keen and appreciative 

 critic of music. 



The author of several essays on Samuel Butler's works, it was due to 

 him that Butler's writings were brought into more general notice. His 

 scientific writings include articles to the "Manchester Guardian," the 

 " Contemporary " and " Fortnightly" Reviews, etc., a collection of which 

 under the title " Problems of Life and Reproduction " was published 

 ten years ago by John Murray. As this title suggests his main research 

 work was concerned with problems in cell-division, reproduction and 

 heredity, his interest in these matters leading him to a bitter attack on 

 Weismann's Theory of the germ plasm. On the morphological side 

 his main interests were in the lower groups of the animal kingdom, and 

 he was responsible for the section on Rotifers in the Cambridge Natural 

 History 



A strenuous opponent of those with whom he disagreed, Hartog has 

 left behind him the reputation of a just disciplinarian and a kindly and 

 sympathetic teacher, remembered affectionately by a host of erstwhile 

 colleagues and students, one of the latter having founded, some years ago, 

 a Hartog Bursary, tenable at University College, Cork. 



Hartog's own family furnishes material for study in one of the branches 

 of biology in which he himself was so interested — heredity. His father, 

 Alphonse Hartog, was professor of French at the London Royal Academy 

 of Music, while his mother for some time kept a school in London, at which 

 one of the most brilliant pupils was Hartog's cousin — Mrs vSirah Ayrton. 

 His eldest brother, Numa, was one of the few to gain the double distinction 

 of a first in Classics and the Senior Wranglership at Cambridge, whilst 

 another brother, P. S., now vice-chancellor of the University of Decca, 

 India, was formerly lecturer and demonstrator in the Chemistry Depart- 



