38 LOOSE LEAVES &t.C. 



and long may they live to promote the study of Natural History in their 

 own and other lands. 



Near the University edifice in Halle, there stands a fine, large, new 

 building, which I approached on the afternoon of May 9th. The ser- 

 vant ushered me up stairs, and in the room to the right, I saluted a tall, 

 •well formed gentleman of about thirty-six. He had a fair, even florid 

 face, light hair, and handsome symmetrical features. He was dissecting 

 the intestines of a new species of monkey, which was lying on the ta- 

 ble. Around him, were scattered all the implements of his profession ; 

 knives, books, plates, drawings, specimens and all the accoutrements of 

 the naturalist. This was Burmeisler, t\w^ author and Professor. I men- 

 tioned my name and that was enough. He received me most politely ; 

 threw aside his work, though the soft material, he was dissecting, was 

 already drying too fast. He had sent me one of his most valuable books 

 a year before, and we had exchanged some letters. We were soon in 

 an animated conversation, and an hour passed rapidly away. We in- 

 spected the museum of the University and his magnificent collection of 

 LumeUlcom beetles, of. whicli family alone, he has nearly four thousand 

 species. He has written a work of two large volumes on this family, 

 Avhich will add to his already extensive reputation. He kindly presented 

 me with the second volume, the first he had sent me before. Burmeister 

 is a man of fine talents, and well deserves, as he expects soon to receive, a 

 higher promotion in University office from his king. He has one advan- 

 tage over most German professors : he married a rich wife and his fath- 

 er-in-law, a wealthy merchant of Hamburg, who has spent thousands of 

 dollars in collections of specimens and books of Natural History, very 

 tenderly cherishes the Professor, of wliose talents and reputation he is 

 justly proud. 



On the same day, I wormed my way through a narrow, unclean 

 street of Halle, near the hotel of the Crown Prince — [not the residence 

 of a royal personage, but the tavern of that high sounding name] and 

 ascending a flight of stone steps, I rang the bell. A young man came 

 out, and before I had time to ask a question he thus addressed me: 

 "vous etes un etranger, monsieur, et peut-etre un mineralogiste ! " — 

 " non, monsieur, je suis un entomologiste, et je desire a voir le Profes- 

 seur. " "Ah! un entomologiste; entrez, Mons., entrez — Je suis bien 

 heureux a vous voir: mon oncle viendra bientot. " He took me for an 

 Englishman and presuming I did not speak German, addressed mc in 

 French, as every educated Englishman is expected to understand that 

 language. 1 entered and the young man announced himself as Dr. 

 Schaum of Stettin. He is the editor of an Entomological Journal and 



