i43 

 PROFESSOR Dr. CARL SEMPER. 



By Dr. H. SIMROTH, 

 Gohlis, Leipzig. 



Several weeks ago Dr. Carl Semper, Professor of Zoology and 

 Comparative Anatomy in the University of Wiirzburg, died after 

 a long illness. He was born in Altona in 1832, and a member 

 of a family much interested in Natural History. Although he 

 attained prominence in almost every department of zoological 

 science, the greater part of his work was malacological. He was 

 one of the very few and rare malacologists whose work and influence 

 advanced science in all its branches, anatomical, embryological, 

 systematical, geographical, &c. His dissertation, for which he 

 obtained his doctorate, entitled " Beitrdge zur Histologii der 

 Pidmonaten" is a most comprehensive work and still represents the 

 basis of our knowledge. Embryologically he worked out the 

 ontogeny of Ampullaria, and in the journey he undertook to the 

 Philippine and Pala Islands, the anatomical and geographical distri- 

 bution of the Gastropoda was one of his chief researches. In the 

 great work " Reisen im Arc/upel der Philippinen" in which the 

 Opisthobranchiata were described by Bergh and the Neurobranchia 

 by Kobelt, Semper described the Zonitidce, Helicidce, and Vagimdidte, 

 also much material from other localities^ and the dorsal eye in 

 Onchidium. This latter piece of work was of interest in that the 

 relation of the dorsal eye of Onchidium with that of the Vertebrata 

 was dealt with, and inasmuch as they are said to be defensive 

 against the attacks of the Pcriopthalmi, which live in the same tidal 

 region. It is to be highly regretted that he could not finish his 

 work upon the anatomy of the Molluscan nephridium as he 

 intended. 



Biological investigation was his occupation, his very successful 

 experiments upon the growth of young Limncea, showing their 

 dependence upon temperature and quantity of water, are known to 

 all. In later years he constructed with much pleasure a vivarium to 

 breed tropical molluscs, e.g., Bulimus, &c. 



Under his superintendence much malacological work was done, 

 e.g., the embryology of Bithinia by Sarasin. When once convinced 

 of the correctness of his meaning, Semper was occasionally a severe 

 critic, as in the controversy with Jhering on the morphology and 

 systematic range of Peronia. 



