276 
NATURE 
[ JANUARY 21, 1897 
over the gates decorated in mosaic with irises on a gold ground, 
and there is also the simple inscription—‘‘ 7c? vefose Pasteur,” 
and on either side of it the dates of his birth and death— 
1822-1895. Passing through the gates, the crypt is approached 
by a flight of nine steps of white statuary marble. The pave- 
ment of the crypt is of marble mosaic, on which are represented 
large wreaths of laurel. The crypt is formed by four arches 
which support a cupola, and in the centre is placed the sar- 
cophagus, which is carved out of a single block of dark-green 
porphyry. The arches are supported on four groups each of 
three columns, two of green porphyry and one of red, with 
Byzantine capitals of white marble. The walls of the crypt are 
lined with pavonazza, a cream-coloured marble richly veined in 
black, and above it are beautifully executed mosaics. On the 
marble which fills the arches on the right and left are inscriptions 
indicating Pasteur’s discoveries in historical order as follows :— 
1848. F 1871. 
Dyssymétrie Moléculaire. Etudes sur la Biere. 
1857. 1877. 
Fermentations. Maladies Virulentes. 
1862. 1880, 
Generations dites Spontanées. Virus Vaccins. 
: 1863. 1885. 
Etudes sur le Vin. Prophylaxie de la Rage. 
1865. 
Maladies des Vers a soie. 
Beyond the sarcophagus is an apsidal chapel containing an 
altar of white marble enclosed by a balustrade of the same 
material. Above the staircase is the following inscription from 
the oration delivered at the reception of Pasteur into the 
Academy of Science : ‘‘ Heureux celui qui porte en soi un dieu, 
un idéal de beauté, et qui lui obéit—idéal de l'art, idéal de la 
science, idéal de la patrie, idéal des vertus de ’Evangile.” In 
the apse is another inscription containing the name of the 
architect and other interesting particulars: ‘*Ce monument fut 
élevé en MDCCCXCVI. a la mémoire de Pasteur par la piété 
de sa veuve et de ses enfants. Charles Louis Girault composa 
Varchitecture et la décoration; il dirigea les travaux. Luc 
Olivier Merson dessina les figures de la coupole. Auguste 
Guilbert Martin exécuta les mosaiques.” 
In the mosaics are representations of fowls, cattle, sheep, and 
dogs, indicating Pasteur’s researches on chicken cholera and 
attenuation of virus, on anthrax, on c/ave/ée or sheep pox, and 
on rabies. There are also beautiful designs of hops, vines, and 
mulberry trees with silkworms and moths, illustrating respec- 
tively his researches on the so-called diseases of beer and wine 
and on the silkworm disease. Pasteur was a devout Roman 
Catholic, and the religious side of his character is indicated in 
the mosaics by angelic figures of Faith, Hope, Charity, and 
Science, and, above the altar, by the figure of a dove descending, 
representing the Holy Spirit, and on either side the Greek 
letters A and 9. At the top of the cupola, light is admitted 
through slabs of oriental onyx. 
Such is the magnificent resting-place of Louis Pasteur, and it 
was a happy idea that this tomb should be placed where his 
successors carry on his great work, and where students from all 
parts of the world may be reminded of the example he set of a 
life of untiring devotion to science and humanity. 
NOTES. 
THE new Session of Parliament began on Tuesday. From the 
forecast of legislative business contained in the Queen’s Speech, 
it appears that the most stringent measures are being taken for 
the eradication of plague at Bombay and Karachi. Against this 
declaration attention may very well be called to foreign com- 
plaints of English apathy in the matter. Prof. Drasche, of 
Vienna, member of the Supreme Sanitary Council, complains 
that England has not shown the least interest in adopting any 
code of regulations for dealing with the plague and confining it 
within narrow limits ; and the Paris press are protesting against 
our carelessness and neglect of effective precautionary measures. 
Another item in the Queen’s Speech refers to education. A 
measure for the promotion of primary education will be brought 
NO. 1421, VOL. 55] 
in; and, if time permits, further proposals for educational 
legislation will be considered. A Bill for the establishment of 
a Board of Agriculture in Ireland will also be introduced. 
Pror. Dr. PAUL HARZER, Director of the Observatory at 
Gotha, has been appointed Director of the Observatory at Kiel, 
and professor of astronomy in the University there, in succession 
to the late Prof. Kriiger. The Gotha Observatory was founded 
at the beginning of thiscentury, and has numbered among its 
directors Encke, Hansen, Kriiger, Seeliger, and Becker, 
THE German Emperor and Empress visited the Polytechnic 
Institute at Charlottenberg on Tuesday in last week, and were 
present at a lecture delivered by Prof. Linde on the ‘‘ Lique- 
faction of Air.” His Majesty conferred upon Prof, Linde 
membership of the Second Class of the Order of the Crown. 
DuRING the nine months which have elapsed since the last 
public announcement, considerable progress has been made 
with the work of the Huxley Memorial Committee. The full- 
sized model for the statue, on which Mr. Onslow Ford, R.A., 
is engaged, is well advanced, and will shortly be completed ; 
and the Trustees of the British Museum of Natural History, at 
South Kensington, have accepted the offer of the statue itself, 
which will be executed in marble, and ultimately placed in the 
central hall of that institution, near the statue of Darwin. The 
design for the Royal College of Science medal has been obtained 
by prize competition among persons resident in Great Britain 
and Ireland, and the selection has fallen upon the design of Mr. 
L. Bowcher, who has produced a highly successful work of art, 
and is now engaged upon the dies. The amount promised and 
received is now about 2900/., over 600/. having been subscribed 
since progress was last reported in the public press. Subscrip- 
tion has been largely promoted by local institutions and scien- 
tific societies in various parts of the world. Bristol, Leeds, 
Leicester, Adelaide, Sydney, New Zealand, ‘and Calcutta have 
been conspicuous by their aid ; British Guiana, Cairo, the East 
Indies, and Mauritius have contributed ; and welcome support 
has been received from the United States of America, from 
France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Holland, Belgium, and 
Switzerland, Scandinavia, Italy, Portugal, Russia, and Servia, 
from Mexico and Peru, and from Arabia and Japan. Aid is 
expected from other centres, both at home and abroad ; and the 
nature of any additional memorial yet to be decided upon must 
largely depend upon the amount still to be subscribed. In con- 
sideration of the world-wide support which the memorial has 
received, it is hoped that it may be possible to secure a form of 
memorial in which persons of all nationalities shall participate. 
Donations may be sent to the Treasurer, Sir J. Lubbock, or the 
bankers, Messrs. Robarts, Lubbock, and Co. (15 Lombard 
Street, E.C.), or to the Hon. Secretary, Prof. G. B. Howes 
(Royal College of Science, South Kensington, S.W.). 
Tue New York Academy ot Medicine will celebrate the 
jubilee of its foundation on January 29. 
Sir W. Martin Conway will describe his expedition across 
Spitzbergen, on Monday next, January 25, at a meeting of the 
Royal Geographical Society. 
Ir is with great regret that we announce the death on Sunday 
morning, January 10, of Kristian Bahnson, the distinguished 
ethnologist, of Copenhagen. He had accomplished much, and 
gave promise of valuable work in the future. 
THE Z%es correspondent at Teheran reports that a severe 
earthquake occurred at the island of Kishm, in the Persian 
Gulf, on January 11, causing enormous loss of life. 
