38 PKOCEEDI>"GS OF THE 



its pages, to apjireciate the energy and untiring devotion with 

 which he laboured and led. 



Chief among Lacaze's researches are those on the Ccelenterata 

 and Mollusca. His ' Histoire jN'aturelle du Corail ' is famous if only 

 as giving an account of CoraUium ruli'iau, in Avhich its structure, 

 reproduction, larva, and economies are all set forth. Gemrdia and 

 Antijxitharia were in turn monographed, in a highly characteristic 

 manner ; and the morphological climax was reached in 1872, in his 

 classic on the order of appearance of the mesenteries, which lies 

 at the foundation of our modern knowledge of the morphology of 

 the Sea-Anemones and Corals. 



Among Mollusca, Anomia, Ilcdioiis, Ostrcea, Pleurobranchus, 

 T'rochus, are conspicuous for his care. His ' Memoire sur la 

 Pourpe ' is a classic of great renown ; but amidst all that he did in 

 the treatment of this group, his monograph on Dentaliian, memor- 

 able alike for tlie study of both the anatomy and development of 

 the genus, stands prominent to-day, in correlation with the recent 

 discoveries of Drew and Pruvot, which seem to show that in the 

 early larva which he described Lacaze ^^"as dealing with a funda- 

 mental form of far-reaching significance. Marine Annelids, 

 Crinoids, and Brachiopods, in turn came under his sway. In the 

 treatment of the genus Laura, he created a new departure in the 

 study of the Cirripedia ; and among his lesser contributions may 

 be cited those on Astroides, Testacella, and Asjiergillum , all of which 

 will long endure. 



As a manipulator, Lacaze possessed remarkable powers, and it 

 is said of him that with a clean-cut of a knife he would lay bare so 

 delicate and deep-seated an organ as the statocyst of a mollusc. 

 Pity '"tis, however, that, possessed of this manellous skill, he did 

 not further employ the microscope. In the lack of histological 

 desire, he appears to have developed an ill-balanced attitude of 

 mind, such as can alone explain the extraordinary pertinacity with 

 which, in later life, he maintained the ^iew that the Ascidians 

 are of Lamellibranch affinity, last expressed in a monograph 

 on the Cynthiidse of Roscoff, produced in conjunction with his 

 former pupil Delage, whose views were contrary to his own. The 

 discussion which accompanies his paper of 1865 on the valved 

 Tunicate CJievridius (Ehodosoma), would seem to bear reference 

 to this, and the principle is one which we could apply in the case 

 of other zoologists who might be named. 



There is no phase of Lacaze-Duthier's career more memorable 

 than his early endeavours in the furtherance of Marine Eesearch. 

 The Marine Zoological Laboratories at Eoscolf in Brittany, and at 

 Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean coast of Prance, which he 

 founded, and with the Coi'poration of the Soi'bonne and the Muni- 

 cipal Council of Banyuls maintahied, will ever be remembered as 

 those of a pioneer. In their foundation, provision was made for 

 the education of the student of youthful years as well as for the 

 prosecution of original research by those the more mature, with the 

 result that a world-wide reputation was early established, under 



