October 7, 1915] 



NATURE 



M9 





When, seven years later, a new chair of proto- 

 zoology was founded in the University of London, 

 Minchin was naturally chosen to fill the post, and 

 undertook the direction of the new department 

 of protozoology at the Lister Institute of Preven- 

 tive Medicine in Chelsea. Here, to some extent 

 freed from routine work and administrative 

 worries, he pursued his researches with untiring 

 industry, and reached those brilliant results which 

 have made his name famous among proto- 

 zoologists the world over. In 1910 he was 

 awarded the Trail Medal, and in 191 1 was elected 

 1 Fellow of the Royal Society. He married 

 Jlorence Maud Fontain in 1903. 



Even as an undergraduate Minchin made his 

 mark as a student of singular ability and 

 originality. His first scientific paper, "On a 

 New Organ in Periplaneta " [Quart. Journ. 

 Microsc. Science, vol. xxix., 1888), and a short 

 note on the embryos of Aurelia [Proc. Zool. Soc, 

 1889), were published before he had taken his 

 degree. Shortly after, he gave the first intel- 

 ligible account of the working of the extra- 

 ordinary Cuvierian organs of Holothuria. 



But space will allow us here to mention only a 

 few of Prof. Minchin 's numerous and valuable 

 contributions to zoological science. He was a 

 specialist in the best sense of the word, deliber- 

 ately restricting the field of his researches in order 

 to probe the more deeply into the mystery of 

 life. The Porifera and the Protozoa were his 

 iavourite groups. 



A series of papers, published from 1892 to 1898, 

 on the structure, development, and classification 

 oi Calcareous Sponges placed Minchin at once in 

 the first rank of zoological investigators. He was 

 struck with the importance of studying specimens 

 living under natural conditions or preserved in 

 perfectly fresh state. An expert swimmer and 

 ■diver, he loved to observe his sponges on the 

 rocky coasts of Plymouth, Roscoff, Banyuls, and 

 Naples. He was thus able to solve many of the 

 problems which had baffled the efforts of his pre- 

 decessors, and to correct not a few of their mis- 

 takes. These studies culminated in a masterly 

 and beautifully illustrated memoir on the develop- 

 ment of the spicules of the Clathrinidae {Quart. 

 Journ. Microsc. Science, vol. xl.), a triumph of 

 technical skill over the difficulties encountered in 

 dealing with minute histological details. It is 

 typical of all his work : neat and methodical in 

 preparation, accurate and thorough in execution, 

 clear and convincing in presentation. To reach 

 the high standard of accuracy he aimed at, 

 •Minchin worked with extraordinary patience and 

 care; no pains were spared, no detail however 

 small was neglected, every refinement of method 

 brought into use. His mastery of technique was 

 Indeed remarkable, and great was his ingenuity 

 In devising improvements in the instruments used 

 and routine followed in his investigations. 



In later years he devoted more and more of his 

 time to the study of the Protozoa, especially of 

 the parasitic forms. The same skill and care 

 which had yielded such successful results in the 

 study of the Porifera soon won for Minchin a 

 NO. 2397, VOL. 96] 



high reputation among protozoologists. In 1905 

 he spent some time in Uganda on the Royal 

 Society's Sleeping Sickness Commission. From 

 that time his work was confined almost entirely 

 to the elucidation of the life-history of the Try- 

 panosomes. For years he devoted himself to this 

 difficult problem, and the memoir brought out, in 

 conjunction with Mr. J. D. Thomson, last 

 January (Quart. Journ. Microsc. Science, vol. 

 Ix.), describing in every detail the life-history of 

 Trypanosoma lewisii in the rat-flea, will remain a 

 lasting memorial to Minchin 's boundless industry 

 and perseverance. Some idea of the magnitude 

 of the work may be gathered from the fact that 

 more than 1600 fleas were dissected and examined 

 in the course of these researches. Among the 

 important discoveries there described may be 

 mentioned the occurrence of an intracellular stage 

 passed through by the Trypanosome in the 

 stomach of its host. Incidentally, Minchin con- 

 tributed valuable information concerning the life- 

 history and structure of the tsetse-fly and the 

 flea. 



It was not, however, by his original researches 

 alone that he advanced zoological science. He 

 wrote many excellent articles in the " Encyclo- 

 paedia Britannica " and elsewhere, and text-books 

 of the highest merit. The parts he contributed 

 to Lankester's "Treatise on Zoology," dealing 

 with the Porifera and the Sporozoa, are models 

 of clear description and sound judgment based 

 on wide zoological experience and a thorough 

 knowledge of the literature. The later " Intro- 

 duction to the Study of the Protozoa " is by far 

 the best text-book yet written on the subject in 

 English, or perhaps in any language, and will 

 long remain a standard work. 



Minchin had a wholesome horror of hurried or 

 slipshod work, of anything which savoured of 

 sensationalism or self-advertisement. He was 

 always ready to give of his best, whether in his 

 writings or his lectures, whether to his friends 

 or his pupils. As a teacher he was particularly 

 successful at the Lister Institute, where he wel- 

 comed and encouraged any who wished to engage 

 in research. There also he lectured and gave 

 practical instruction to students, many of whom 

 were medical men from India and the tropics. 



Minchin was a man of cultured intellect and 

 wide interests, with a keen appreciation of^ the 

 beauties of ancient and modern literature. His 

 published works and his presidential addresses to 

 the Quekett Microscopical Club are distinguished 

 not only for the matter they contain, but also for 

 the admirable form in which it is presented. 

 Nowhere, perhaps, is this better seen than in his 

 last scientific contribution, the presidential ad- 

 dress to Section D of the British Association at 

 Manchester. Unfortunately he was prevented 

 from reading it himself by the illness which was 

 so soon to carry him off. 



The sudden ending of his scientific career will 

 be deeply felt in the zoological world, not only 

 in England, but also abroad, and especially per- 

 haps in France, where his merits were quickly 

 appreciated. Minchin 's great modesty and his 



