FROM IMV JOURNAL. 37 



and anticipated the richest zoological treat. For five years I had cor- 

 responded with him, and during all that time had made exchanges with 

 him of shells, insects, books, and minerals. 1 had read his writings? 

 and admired his numerous zoological engravings, much more than 

 the pictures of a gaudy annual. 1 walked up stairs and entering a 

 room, I saw advancing towards me an old man, apparently of about sev- 

 enty ; his head was bald, but his .step was firm and elastic ; his eye was 

 undimmed and his face un wrinkled ; he rapidly approached me with 

 both hands extended and gave me a real, hearty, German welcome. [1 

 never could become accustomed to that German kissmg salutation. Jt 

 suits well enough for ladies, but for two gentlemen and they often with 

 enormous mustaches, to be hugging and kissing each other did at first 

 seem to be outre.] This was John Jacob Sturm., who for fifty years has 

 been a zoological engraver, author, printer and publisher. His name is 

 known wherever entomological books are read, for it frequently occurs 

 in all publications relating to that science. He is entomologist, orni- 

 thologist, mammalogist and botanist. He has written, engraved, printed 

 and published books on all these sciences and all executed by his own 

 hand. He is a plain, unpretending old man, and does not appear to feel 

 that the scientific world is so deeply indebted to him. He did not even 

 tell me that the University of Breslau had but recently conferred on 

 him a distinguished honor on the occasion of ihe Jifticlh anniversary of 

 his Zoological career. We talked of his writings and his collections — 

 of our numerous exchanges and our correspondence, — of the American 

 Fauna and American entomology, in particular. I examined his exten- 

 sive collections and spent three days most delightfully in the society of 

 this excellent old man. 



But the father is not the only naturalist of the fomily. His two sons 

 are following the footsteps of their celebrated sire and are fast rising to 

 eminence. They have lately published a W'Ork on birds, the figures of 

 which are engraved by themselves, which has attracted much notice in 

 Europe. These three men live only for Natural History. They all re- 

 side in the same house, and the brothers have married sisters, so that 

 they are altogether intimately connected. 



The sons have a large museum which is exhibited for pay, and which 

 is particularly rich in ornithology They have the largest collection of 

 liumming birds, [ saw any where in Europe. One of the sons has a 

 unique collection of shells, with the living animal most wonderfully 

 imitated in wax. They are placed on a leaf, or bark of a tree, and look 

 so natural, that you wait to see the animal drag its calcareous domicil 

 along. This family of Sturms possesses extraordinary artistic talents 



