LINNEAN SOCIKXY OF LONDON. 47 



aud man of science of the first rank. Though he published 

 comparatively little, he was an elegant aud flueut writer, aud his 

 large correspoudeuce with botanists was carried on in the most 

 admirable manner. Perhaps amongst eastern botanists, many o£ 

 whom were accustomed to consult him in difficult cases, it is as a 

 letter-writer that he will be best remembered. Ever ready to 

 help where he knew that help would be well aud properly 

 bestowed aud appreciated, he spared no time aud trouble in the 

 investigation of points referred to him ; he was also most liberal 

 in the distribution of his specimens and his stores of information 

 in quarters he deemed suitable. Nor was it only in botanical 

 science that he was so belpf ul to others ; he was an ardent 

 entomologist, and collected most exteusively, paying special 

 atteution to the habits aud life of insects. His notes on the 

 families of butterflies in Moore's ' Lepidoptera of Ceylon' are 

 the best part of the text of that disappointing volume. He early 

 adopted the views of Charles Darwin, aud announced his adhesion 

 to them in the preface to his ' Euumeratio ' (18G±) ; and tliough lie 

 never revisited Europe, he kept, till the last three or four years, 

 well on a level with scientific progress. He leaves behind a 

 worthy reputation as a diligent aud couseientioas servant of the 

 State aud a very successful student of nature. 



The following Notice bas been drawn up since the Aunivcr- 

 sary : — 



WiLHELM Cakl H^RTWia Petebs was born at Koldenbiittel, 

 Schleswig, on April 22, 1815. He studied at Copenhagen aud 

 Berlin, and at the latter place he began his long list of scientific 

 papers in Miiller's ' Archiv' in 1837, contributing to the same 

 periodical five other papers up to 1812. 



By recommendation of Alex, von Humboldt, Johann Miiller, 

 Lichtenstein, and Caid Hitter, and under the patronage of Kiug 

 Friedrich Wilhelm IV., he undertook the scientific journey to 

 Mozambique, Zanzibar, Madagascar, and the East Indies which 

 is so well known. 



He returned to Berlin in 1848, haviug collected largely, and 

 transmitted specimens and communications of high value to 

 various Grerman period'cals whilst abroad. He became Secre- 

 tary to the Berliiiische Gresellschaft naturforscheuder Freunde, 

 and actively advanced its interests. On the death of Lichten- 

 stein in 1857, he succeeded to his post as Director of the Zoolo- 

 gical Museum in Berlin, which he held to his death, on A.pril 2Ist, 

 1883. The Fishery Exhibition held in that city in 1881 was 

 much aided by his very extensive knowledge and active help. 



He was a copious writer on very many groups, but more parti- 

 cularly devoted himself to the Vertebrates. The ' Catalogue of 

 Scientific Papers ' contains a list of 215 papers by him ; but the 



