242 ENTOMOI.OGICAL NEWS. [June, 'i 5 



injuring his nose and palate to such an extent that he com- 

 pletely lost all sense of smell and taste. I remember his 

 saying, one day at home, that he had no taste, all things were 

 alike to him, so he ate only to satisfy hunger. 



His mother being anxious that he should study for the 

 ministry, he began, but fortunately for science. Dr. Maurice 

 Herold, Professor of Zoolog}^ at the University, at the same 

 time offered him the position of Conservator of the University 

 Museum, a chance that was eagerly seized by the young natur- 

 alist, who gave up the idea of becoming a Minister of the 

 Gospel, not before obtaining permission from his mother to 

 do so, however. He at once began the course of Zoology at 

 the University, where, due to his being the son of one of its 

 Professors, he obtained free tuition, graduating in the fall of 

 1837 with the degree of Master of Arts, and obtaining that of 

 Doctor of Philosophy the following year. 



His ambition was not satisfied with work at the Museum. 

 The wilds appealed strongly to him, so when invited to 

 Surinam, Dutch Guiana, by his friend, Dr. Jules Hille, a Dutch 

 military doctor, who offered him lodging and other help, his 

 joy was unbounded. Communicating his enthusiasm to others, 

 there was formed an organization to furnish funds by the sale 

 of stock to be repaid by Gundlach with specimens collected on 

 the trip. In the meantime he spent half a year studying the 

 Zoological Museum at Frank fort-on -Main. 



Fortunately for Cuba, about this time Mr. Charles Booth, 

 of Matanzas, Cuba, having finished his studies in Europe, in- 

 vited Dr. Louis Pfeiffer, afterwards famous for his work on 

 shells, notably his Monographia Helicorum, Pneumono- 

 pomorum et Auriculaceorum Viventium ; Edouard Otto, son 

 of the Director of the Botanical Gardens at Berlin, and Johann 

 Gundlach, to spend some time with him in Cuba. Gundlach 

 accepted at once with the other two, but with the idea of con- 

 tinuing from Cuba to Surinam. So in November, 1838, they 

 set sail on the brig "Augustus and Julius," arriving on Christ- 

 mas Day of the same year at Cape Maisi, the easternmost end 

 of Cuba, where contrary winds obliged them to take the course 

 around the southern, or at this season lee side of the Island, 



