SOCIETY OF PHYSICS AND NATURAL HISTORY, OF GENEVA. 357 



until next year's report for the testimony of esteem and affection in 

 wliich you all desire to unite, and we think it more suitable to add to 

 this year's report a notice which shall from this day recall the memory 

 of Claparede. 



Edward CLaparede, born in 1833, was from an ancient family in 

 Geneva. He commenced his studies at the Academy of this city, where 

 he was even then remarkable for his pre-eminent resources. En- 

 dowed with a decided taste for natural sciences, he was the pupil of 

 Professor Pictet de la Eive, who, by his instruction, developed in him 

 a taste for zoology. In 1853 he went to the University of Berlin, where he 

 studied with the distinguished Jean Miiller, who was not long in recog- 

 nizing his merits, and of whom he became one of the best pupils. 

 Even while pursuing his studies, he composed several memoirs upon 

 the inferior animals, one of which treats of the anatomy of Cyclo- 

 stoma elegans, which served him as a thesis for the doctorate. It was 

 also at this time that he commenced, in common vvith his friend Lach- 

 man, a great work upon the Infusoria and the EhyzoiJodia, which 

 made a considerable advance in the science of these animals, and 

 which obtained for him the great x)rize of physical science from the 

 Institute of France. Made Doctor of Medicine in 1857, Claparede re- 

 turned to Geneva, where he continued his labors with great assiduity, 

 notwithstanding impaired health, and sufferings which would have dis- 

 couraged almost anyone else. He was soon elected to a professorship, 

 and displayed in his instruction the brilliant qualities which contribu- 

 ted to increase the reputation of our Academy. He also gave several 

 public lectures, which always attracted a large audience, thanks to his 

 great erudition, and to the fluency of speech which gave to his instruc- 

 tion an irresistible attraction. 



Although his tastes led him to prefer the study of inferior animals, 

 he was occupied with various subjects, and we find in the memoirs of 

 the Archives de la Biblioiheque Universelle numerous articles of his upon 

 different branches of science, in which he gave a resume of works in 

 foreign languages, also a number of analyses, as learned as varied, 

 upon many subjects, which added much to the value of the bulletin. 

 Understanding nearly all the languages of Europe, he could give an 

 account of a great many works entirely inaccessible to others, while his 

 critical appreciation bore the mark of a true scientific genius. 



The desire to pursue his researches upon marine animals induced 

 Claparede to make numerous journeys to the sea-shore, and on each 

 occasion he collected the materials for important investigations, the re- 

 sults of which appeared either in Geneva, in the Memoirs of the Society 

 of Physics, or in Germany, in the Zeitschrift flir wissenschaftliche Zoologie 

 of Siebold and Kolliker, in the Archives of Miiller, &c. The class of 

 Annelides more particularly arrested his attention. Almost every 

 year he made it the subject of some new publication, and finally devo- 

 ted his great work to the Annelides of Naples, which, unfortunately, 



