Februury 1S94.] 



PSYCHE. 



35 



HERMANN AUGUST HAGEN. 



After three years of complete prostration, 

 Dr. Ha^en died at his home in Cambridge on 

 November 9, 1S93. He was born at Konigs- 

 berg May 30, 1S17 and in the course of his 

 long life became one of the most distin- 

 guished entomologists of the century. He 

 lived in Konigsberg as a practising physi- 

 cian until 1867 when he removed to Cam- 

 bridge to take charge of the entomological 

 department of the Museum of comparative 

 zoology. In 1876 he declined a pressing 

 and tempting ofter to return to his native 

 country, to take charge of the entomological 

 collections of the University Museum at 

 Berlin. His first essay and his inaugural 

 dissertation on attaining the doctorate were 

 upon Odouata, and this group with other 

 Neuroptera formed afterward the chief sub- 

 ject of his researches, though every order of 

 insects has received treatment in the more 

 than four hundred papers issued by liim. 



Undoubtedly the work by which he is 

 most widely known is his Bibliotheca ento- 

 mologica, probably the best topical scientific 

 bibliography ever published. Not only is 

 it remarkably complete and free from errors, 

 but in addition to an alphabetical arrange- 

 ment by authors, in which the entries are 

 chronological, it contains an admirably con- 

 ceived classified index in a narrow compass 

 which adds vastly to its usefulness. Would 

 that the literature of the generation since its 

 publication might receive similar treatment. 

 American entomologists will especially 

 recognize the value of his contributions to 

 a knowlege of our own Neuroptera, and 

 notably of the general work prepared by 

 him for the Smithsonian Institution, which 

 gave a precision and a stimulus to later 

 studies in this field. Had the definitions of 

 the higher groups equalled those of the 

 species a really model work would have 

 been produced; as it was, it filled well a 

 decided gap in our literature and has been 

 the basis of all that has since appeared. Our 



information is now so much more extended 

 and varied that a new work brought up to 

 date is much needed. 



His great skill and erudition were equally 

 shown in the synonymical synopses of many 

 families of Neuroptera which he published 

 from time to time and in his monograph 

 of the white ants, one of the the most diffi- 

 cult of studies — a real'monument of learning. 

 Another field of investigation followed by 

 Hagen with great success was that of extinct 

 Neuroptera. He has probably written more 

 upon them, particularly upon the mesozoic 

 European species, than any other author, 

 and his contributions are among the very 

 best that have enriched the study of fossil 

 insects. The exactitude of his figures and 

 the carefulness of his descriptions give them 

 a particular merit. 



During his twenty-five years' residence in 

 this country, Dr. Hagen was remarkably 

 generous in the aid given by him to entom- 

 ologists of all classes. He replied with 

 great fulness and promptness to all en- 

 quiries, and being himself a mine of informa- 

 tion in every department of entomology, his 

 readiness was of immense service to his 

 correspondents. Through him the entomo- 

 loi^ical library and collections of the museum 

 were put to their fullest use and his per- 

 sonal work in the arrangement and espe- 

 cially in the biological division of his special 

 charge was something extraordinary. Al- 

 most single handed he brought the vast 

 collections into systematic order and kept 

 them so, expending the greatest pains in 

 their proper disposition and careful labell- 

 ing. The evidence of his painstaking and 

 faithful work is permanently fixed. His 

 death removes one of the beacon lights of 

 our science. 



[The delay in the appearance of this 

 notice is due to the fact that, owing to 

 special circumstances, both the December 

 and January numbers of Psyche were printed 

 and even prepared for the mail before Dr. 

 Hagen's death.] 



