122 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



OBITUARY. 



The Latr Dr. LIagex. 



Hermann August Hagen was born May 30, 1817, at Konigsberg, in Prussia. His- 

 parents were Carl Heinrich Hagen, Professor of Political Economy, Technology and 

 Agriculture at the LTniversity of Konigsberg, and Anna Dorothea Linch. His first 

 instruction was received at the gymnasium '• Collegium Friederi^ianum," whence he was 

 transferred in 1830 to the " Kneiphotische Gymnasium." He graduated in 1836, studied 

 medicine at the LTniversity of Konigsberg and received the degree of Doctor of Medicine 

 in 1840. After the death of his grandfather, Carl Gottfried Hagen, Professor of Natural 

 History in Konigsberg, the latter's entomological collection and library came into the 

 possession of the grandson. Under his father's direction he studied entomology in his 

 leisure time, collecting chiefly Odonata, because by chance the first specimen he caught 

 proved to be an undescribed insect of that order. ^Vhile he became gradually more inter- 

 ested in this particular study, he had the benefit of some instruction from two eminent 

 and still active naturalists, Theodor von Siebold and Carl Ernst von Baer, who called his 

 attention to the necessity of the study of medicine for the naturalist, the knowledge of 

 pathology being indispensable to a comprehension of any normally constituted organism. 

 He attended also for several years the le Jtures of Professor Rathke, the celebrated embry- 

 ologist, and accompanied him in 1839 on his scientific journey through Norway, Sweden 

 and Denmark, studying chiefly the anatomy and habits of marine animals. In 1840, he 

 published at Konigsberg, as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Medioine, a little 

 work entitled " Synonymia Libellulinarium Europieorum." From 1840-1 he studied at 

 the LTniversity of Berlin and passed, according to the law of Prussia, the necessary exami- 

 nations as physician and surgeon. He then travelled through the greater part of Europe, 

 In Vienna he attended clinical and medical lectures for six months, and in Paris for 

 nearly a year. The study of natural history was in the meantime always pursued, so far 

 as time and circumstances allowed, and his acquaintance with Baron de Selys-Long- 

 champs, of Liege, made in Paris, 1842, gave rise to a series of entomological publications 

 containing their combined studies of the family of the Odonata. He was favored at this 

 time with the counsel and encouragement of the prominent entomologists, Klug, Erichson, 

 Kollar, Von Siebold, and many others whose personal acquaintance he had made during 

 his travels. He returned to Konigsberg in 1843, and settled there as a practising 

 physician. For three years he was first assistant at the surgical hospital, performing the 

 greater part of the operations. In 1851 he was married to Johanna Maria Elise Gerhards. 

 His duties as a physician limiting his studies in natural history to leisure hour.", he con- 

 fined himself to entomology (with especial reference to the Neuroptera), entomological 

 biology, and the study of the microscope. The fear of wasting time in investigating sub- 

 jects which liad already been elucidated induced him to catalogue carefully all accessible 

 entomological publications. This compilation, begun for his own use, was afterwards 

 published as " Eibliotheca, Entomologica," in two volumes, L?ipzig, 1862. Alone, or 

 jointly with Baron de Selys-Longchamps, he has published in various scientific p'sriodicaLs^ 

 a large number of notes, papers and monographs, all of which, up to 186 1, are mentioned 

 in his " Bibliotheca." His first publication was made ia 1834, on " Prussian Odonata." 

 It was his wish to prepare monographs in all families belonging to the Linniean Neurop- 

 tera, but circumstances did not permit the lull execution of this plan. In 1849, 1857 and 

 1861 he made extended scientific journeys through Germany, Belgium, Holland and 

 England for the sake of comparing collections and libraries. From 1863 67, his official 

 duties as Vice-President of the City Council and Member of the School Board of the.City 

 of Konigsberg left him no leisure. A large number of reports on a great variety of sub- 

 jects relating to these duties demanded much careful study. Some of them, as for 

 instance one on " Life Insurance," are exceedingly elaborate treatises. In 1863 he 

 received the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Konigsberg„ 



