6 14 



NA TURE 



[April 30, 1903 



(" Zur nahern Kenntniss des Generationswechsels "), 

 Leipzig, iS4«i ; his "System der tierischen Morpho- 

 logic" (1853); his beautiful atlas, " Icones Zoo- 

 tomies " (1857); his text-book, " Handbuch der 

 Zoologie," in collaboration with Gerstaeckcr (1863- 

 1875); ms essa y " Ueber die Wertbestimmung der 

 zoologischen Merkmale " (1854); his investigation on 

 Leptocephalids (1861); his useful " Prodromus Fauna; 

 Mediterranean" (2 vols., 18S4-1893); his " Bibliotheca 

 Zoologica," in collaboration with Engelmann (2 vols., 

 Leipzig, 1862); his edition of the Zoologischer 

 Anzeiger, since its beginning in 1878; his excellent 

 translations of the more important of Darwin's work-, 

 o ! ' Lewes 's "Physiology of Daily Life," &c. ; but 

 above all his erudite and invaluable history of zoology 

 (" Geschichte der Zoologie "), 1S72. Although this well- 

 known history is not marked bv the genius which 

 illumines Sachs's " Historv of Botany," it is a great 

 work, quite enough in itself to make the name of Carus 

 famous. 



In reference to Carus's translation of Darwin's 

 works, it is interesting to recall what Mr. Francis 

 Darwin says in the " Life and Letters," vol. iii. p. 48. 

 " From this time (1866) forward Prof. Carus continued 

 to translate my father's books into German. The con- 

 scientious care with which this work was done was of 

 material service, and I well remember the admiration 

 (mingled with a tinge of vexation at his own short- 

 comings) with which my father used to receive lists 

 of oversights, &c, which Prof. Carus discovered in the 

 course of translation. The connection was not a mere 

 business one, but was cemented by warm feelings of 

 regard on both sides." In 1866 we find Darwin 

 writing to Carus: — "I wish I had known when 

 writing my historical sketch that you had, in [853, 

 published your views on the genealogical connection 

 of past and present forms." 



While Carus did not himself make many contribu- 

 tions to the research-literature of zoology, he was 

 certainly one of those who facilitated the progress of 

 the science. It is hard to say how much we owe to 

 the persistent patience implied in the onerous labour 

 of editing the Zoologischer Anzeiger, which has helped 

 in keep us up to date for so many vears, and has 

 prompted other Berichte on similar or different lines. 

 There can be no doubt that Carus gave his mature 

 strength to making this journal a success — an indis- 

 pensable item in every zoological laboratory, and an 

 organon of progress. We are glad to see that the 

 editorship, which he so ably discharged, has passed 

 into the expert hands of Prof. E. Korschelt. 



Although he lived a very quiet and unobtrusive life 

 — arbeitsreich, as his fellow-countrymen say — he had 

 his share of honours. He was an honorary doctor of 

 philosophy of the University of Jena, and an LL.D. of 

 both Oxford and Edinburgh, and he received die. na- 

 tions from Prussia, Saxony, and Russia. Herr Pro- 

 fessor, Dr. med., phil. et jur. Julius Victor Carus, 

 Ritter pp., was the doyen of the medical faculty of the 

 University of Leipzig, and his obsequies we're dulv 

 honoured both by the University and bv the city on 

 March 13. In the venerable Pa'ulinerkirche the Uni- 

 versity preacher, Prof. D. Rietschel, spoke of Carus's 

 devotion to science, literally maintained " till the pen 

 dropped from the wearied fingers," of his keen artistic 

 interests, of the nobility of his character, and of the 

 strength of his family affections. He leaves a widow, 

 three daughters (one married to Dr. J. Lehmann), and 

 a son, Victor, to lament his loss. The Dean of the 

 Medical Faculty, Prof. Hoffmann, spoke of his scien- 

 tific patience and of the loyalty of his services along 

 lines which frequently weakened health and other 

 personal inhibitions left open to him. The fact seems 

 to be that Carus might have been professor ordinarius 

 NO. 1748, VOL. 67] 



at Leipzig if he had not gracefully and magnanimously 

 bowed to the strong claims of Rudolf Leuckart ; " er 

 war kein Streber und verstand es nicht seine Forsch- 

 ungen schnell genug zur Discussion zu stellen, 

 sondern er legte sie in grossen Arbeiten langsam 

 nieder. " Thus it is readily intelligible why he devoted 

 himself to a line of work which was not only 

 organically congenial, but brought him some security 

 of income. 



It is, therefore, all the more desirable that we should 

 record, as it were from a distance, how much we 

 honour the name of Carus — as a bibliographer, as a 

 historian of the science of zoology, and as one who, 

 by persistent patience of recording, has made the steps 

 of progress easier to thousands. J. A. T. 



NOTES. 



A Royal Commission has been appointed to obtain and 

 distribute full information as to the best mode by which the 

 I'nited Kingdom and British dominions may lie represented 

 at the St. Louis International Exhibition to be opened next 

 year, to assist with advice and cooperation, and generally to 

 promote the success of the exhibition. The commissioners 

 are: — His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, president: 

 Viscount Peel, chairman; the Earl of Jersey, Earl Howe, 

 Lord Castletown, Lord Inverclvde, Lord Alverstone, Lord 

 Avebury, Mr. Horace Plunkett, the Hon. Charles Napier 

 Lawrence, the Hon. Sir Charles W. Fremantle, Sir G. 

 Hayter Chubb, Sir Edward J. Poynter, Sir C. Rivers 

 Wilson, Sir K. Maunde Thompson, Sir William H. Preece, 

 Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, Sir Herbert Jekyll, Sir Lawrence 

 Alma-Tadema, R.A., Sir ('. Purdon Clarke, Sir George T. 

 Livesey, Mr. Henry H. S. Cunvnghanie, Mr. Edwin A. 

 Abbey, R.A., Mr." Charles Vernon Boys, F.R.S.. Mi 

 Thomas Brock, R.A., Mr. George Donaldson, Prof. C. Le 

 Neve Foster, F.R.S., Mr. John C. Hawksh'aw, Mr. Thomas 

 1,. Jackson, R.A., Mr. W. Henry Maw. Mr. F. G. Ogilvie, 

 Mr. William O. Orchardson, R.A., Mr. Boverton Redwood, 

 F.R.S., Mr. Alfred 1.. Salamon, Mr. Joseph W. Swan, 

 F.R.S., Mr. J. J. Harris Teall, F.R.S., and Mr. F. W. 

 Webb. Colonel C. M. Watson. C.B., is appointed secretary 

 of the Commission. 



At a meeting of the above commissioners en Tuesday, 

 the Prince of Wales gave a short practical address, 

 in the course of which he remarked : " Both France anil 

 Germany appear fully to realise the advantages to be g 

 In making a good display of their productions, and in these 

 countries large. sums have been provided by their respective 

 Governments to assist in meeting the expense of the exhibits. 

 There is one point to which it would seem desirable to 

 direct attention. In previous international exhibitions, 

 while other countries have arranged to have combined 

 national displays in certain groups, it has been the habit 

 for British manufacturers to show individual exhibits, rather 

 than to combine together so as to produce the best possible 

 effect. It is hoped that in the case of the St. Louis Ex- 

 hibition it may be possible to arrange so that exhibitors 

 will combine in order to display British products to the 

 best advantage. It should be remembered that the com- 

 petition will not be between individual British manufac- 

 turers, but between them as a whole and their foreign rivals. 

 As regards the amount which will be available to carry out 

 the work of the Royal Commission, I understand that His 

 Majesty's Government has included a sum of 30,000/. in 

 the Estimates for 1903-04 as a commencement, and that a 

 decision will not be arrived at as to the total amount to be 

 granted until it has been ascertained to what extent British 

 manufacturers show a willingness to take part in the ex- 

 hibition." 



