386 Geological Society. 



and displaying this collection, the whole should be transferred from 

 Brzezina to the capital. This was afterwards done ; and in this and 

 other ways he was one of the principal founders of the Museum at 

 Prague. He also gave notice, that while the collection continued in 

 his own residence, it was open to the inspection of every lover of 

 science, even in the absence of the Count himself. 



The publication of Sternberg's Flora der Vorwelt went on till 

 1825, after which it was discontinued till 1838, when two parts ap- 

 peared, terminating the work. In this last publication he states that 

 he is compelled to give up this undertaking, having been in a great 

 measure deprived of sight for two years, so that he was obliged to 

 devolve the greater part of such labours upon MM. Corda and Presl. 

 His hearing also failed him. He adds, however, that though thus 

 no longer able to pursue the path which he has trodden for twenty 

 years, he shall not fail to render to the science, of which he was one 

 of the founders, any service which may be in his power. This pub- 

 lication was the crowning labour of his life, for he did not long sur- 

 vive it ; he retained, however, to the last the elasticity and activity 

 of his mind. He died very suddenly at his country seat already 

 mentioned, on the 20th of December, 1838, being carried off by 

 apoplexy in his 78th year. 



In hi? own country his influence was highly salutary : he directed 

 his attention especially to the improvement of the national educa- 

 tion ; and we cannot be surprised at finding such a person verj^ soon 

 at the head of nearly all the institutions for literary and public pur- 

 poses. He founded the National Museum of Bohemia, of which he 

 was the President ; gave to it his library and his various collections, 

 and further enriched it at various periods of his life. He was, in- 

 deed, zealous in all that concerned Bohemian nationality, and was 

 an accomplished master of the language and literature of his countrj"^ : 

 since his death I am assured that there is hardly one Bohemian of 

 any class who does not mourn for him as for a most respected bene- 

 factor. Throughout Germany, he was looked to by all who felt an 

 interest in science with a respect and regard which he well merited. 

 The emperor Francis held him in the highest esteem ; he gave him 

 the title of Privy Councillor, and the Grand Cross of St. Leopold, 

 held in that monarchy as a distinguished honour. 



In the preceding sketch I have mentioned Schlotheim as one of 

 the predecessors of Count Sternberg in fossil botany. Although 

 this writer died in 1832, and was an honorary member of this So- 

 ciety, he has never been noticed in the annual address ; I may there- 

 fore here add a few words with reference to him. Baron E. F. von 

 Schlotheim was Privy Councillor and President of the Chamber at 

 the court of Gotha, and his collection of Petrifactions has long been 

 celebrated throughout Germany. Besides his Flora of a Former 

 World, or Descriptions of remarkable Impressions of Plants, which 

 appeared in 1804, he published, in 1820, ' Petrifactenkunde, or the 

 Science of Petrifactions according to its jjresent condition, illustrated 

 by the Description of a Collection of petrified and fossil remains of 

 the animal and vegetable kingdom of a former world.' And in 1822 



