1897] STEENSTRUP 161 
Generations” (1842), and “On the Existence of Hermaphroditism 
in Nature” (1845). The first of these is too well known to need 
any explanation here; it can only be wondered that this doctrine so 
wonderful at the time of its publication has been so little modified 
in its essential points and lost or gained so little in extension since 
that time. Space forbids me to enlarge further on this topic, which 
more than any other of Steenstrup’s writings has spread his name 
and fame over the whole civilised world. His second work, that 
“On Hermaphroditism,” was less successful, though its subject was 
in intimate connection with lines of thought resulting from or con- 
nected with “ metagenesis,” as it is now generally termed. One may 
admire the author’s acuteness of perception and the extent of his 
comparative studies, and confess that he quite rightly abolished many 
eases of unfounded hermaphroditism among inferior animals ; but it 
must be allowed that hermaphroditism is still fully recognised, with 
few exceptions, among leeches, flukes, tapeworms, pulmonate and 
opisthobranch snails, barnacles, etc. (Tardigrada have lately been 
thrown off), without our being able to give an adequate natural 
reason for its presence in some tribes and its absence in others. 
In recent times Steenstrup’s memoir has awakened the important 
remark, that in all probability hermaphroditism has not been the 
primordial rule in any division of higher or lower zoological rank, 
but must be a “later acquisition” in the course of evolution, for 
which no satisfactory reason can yet be given. While speaking 
still of Steenstrup’s residence at Soroe, it should be mentioned that 
here he pursued, in the course of other faunistic studies, an examina- 
_ tion into the specific duplicity of our common frogs (Rana temporaria) 
and the distinctive characters of what he termed &. oxyrhinus and 
f. platyrhinus, which have played a rather important part in the 
recent study of the Anourous Batrachia. 
In 1846, after the death of Reinhardt, sen., Steenstrup was 
nominated to replace him in the chair of Zoology at the University 
of Copenhagen, and as Director of its modest zoological collection. 
He was a beloved and admired teacher for the students of medicine 
and for the pupils of the polytechnic school, and at the same time the 
gifted chief leader of the “ Natural History Society.” A member of 
the Royal Society of Science from 1842, he was its secretary after 
Forchammer’s death until after years of great activity he gave up 
this post in 1878. The election to the Presidency after Madvig’s 
death he declined, as he had more than once declined the Rectorship 
of the University, being anxious not to be drawn too much away 
from his scientific studies and his professorial duties. In 1848 he 
was with Forchammer placed at the head of the “ Royal Natural 
History Museum,” with the recommendation of the Minister of 
Education to promote its union with the University Museums—a 
M 
