March 6, 19 13] 



NATURE 



'5 



in every way in carrying- on his difficult task. At 

 the time of Balfour's death it was alreadj 

 building a spacious laboratory and private rooms 

 adjoining it to accommodate students of zoology. 

 Owing to the rearrangement of the M.B. examina- 

 tion, further increase soon became necessary, and 

 this the University provided in 18S4 by bodily 

 lifting the roof off the Mineralogical Museum and 

 building up walls under it. 



Whilst Prof. Newton kept alive in the Univer- 

 sitv the study of zoology as a study of living 

 animals, Sedgwick promoted the interest of those 

 more interested in the architecture or morphology 

 of the animal body. He had become in 1880 a 

 Fellow, and soon after lecturer at Trinity College, 

 and the college (as is the habit of Cambridge col- 

 leges) allowed his University lectures to count as 

 though they were delivered to, as they were paid 

 for by, the college. 



Sedgwick's first researches, as was natural, 

 were on embryology, and were mainly concerned 

 with the origin of the vertebrate kidney. He also 

 published a" short paper on Chiton, with two 

 useful diagrams, but the work by which he will 

 be longest remembered was his investigation into 

 the embryology and anatomy of the Cape species 

 of Peripatus. His investigations did much to clear 

 up the nature of the body-cavity of the Arthropods, 

 and to explain what had become of the ccelom in 

 the members of this group. What he found in 

 the developing egg of Peripatus started him on 

 more than one interesting speculation. His views 

 on the cell-theory, at one time much criticised, 

 have largely come into their own. Another of his 

 ingenious hypotheses largely based on the same 

 research related to the origin of segmentation in 

 metameric animals. At one time he had con- 

 templated a final volume to his "Zoology," which 

 was to deal with the theory and philosophy of the 

 science, and it is very greatly to be regretted that 

 this has not appeared. His originality of outlook 

 and power of expression would have made it a 

 valuable contribution to the more speculative side 

 of zoology. 



As a result of his work on Peripatus, he was 

 elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in [886, 

 and he twice served on the council of that body. 

 In 1S97 he became tutor at Trinity College, and 

 lor ten years held that position. Although he 

 continued with his usual vigour the teaching and 

 management of a great department, this appoint- 

 ment practically coincided with his ceasing re- 

 s( arch. It also coincided with the production of 

 what is undoubtedly the most comprehensive text- 

 book in English written, with the exception of 

 one or two groups, by one man. Sedgwick's aim 

 in his great text-book was to mention practically 

 every genus. Of course, in some groups, such 

 as the insects, this ambition could not be realised; 

 but his broad outlook, his wide knowledge, and, 

 on certain lines, his philosophical insight have 

 made the book invaluable to all advanced students 

 of the subject. It will be, with his work on Peri- 

 patus, a lasting memorial to his name. 



In 1907 Prof. Newton died, and the chair of 

 zoology then passed to Adam Sedgwick, who for 

 NO. 2262, VOL. 91] 



so many years had been the head of the depart- 

 ment of morphology. To the great regret ol his 

 Cambridge friends he only held it for two years. 

 In 1909 he accepted the post of professor ol 

 zoology at the Imperial College of Science and 

 Technology, and for the last three and a half years 

 he spent his whole energies in the attempt to build 

 up a school of zoology in South Kensington. 



For some months his friends had marked with 

 dismay a serious decline in his health, but his 

 sudden death on February 2- came as a shock to 

 many who read of it in their morning paper last 

 Friday. 



If one may say a few words about his per- 

 sonality, he was extraordinarily "alive," very 

 trenchant in his criticisms, not a good lecturer, 

 the reverse of fluent, yet by his earnestness and 

 by the vigour of his language arresting attention. 

 Still he was a successful teacher. The best course 

 he gave was that on embryology ; here he was 

 giving his class the results of first-hand, personal 

 knowledge, and his students felt they were listen- 

 ing to a master of the subject. His very entrance 

 into the great laboratory where some hundred 

 students were being taught by eight or ten demon- 

 strators put a new spirit into the thing. The 

 atmosphere, as it were, became electrified, and 

 teachers and taught were "keyed up." As a con- 

 versationalist he was most interesting, holding 

 often bizarre and impossible views, and maintain- 

 ing them with extraordinary enere-v and humour. 

 Ifone may judge by portraits and statues, he was 

 in physique very like his great-uncle — small and 

 frail in body, his face was quick and keen. Like 

 his great-uncle again, he was an eager and rapid 

 worker, one who never spared himself when work- 

 ing at the subject to which he devoted his life. 



NOTES. 



The following fifteen candidates have been selected 

 bv the council of the Royal Society to be recommended 

 for election into the society :— Prof. V. H. Blackman, 

 professor of plant physiology and pathology at the 

 Imperial College of Science and Technology; Dr. 

 William Bulloch, professor of bacteriology in the 

 University of London; Mr. D. L. Chapman, fellow 

 and tutor of Jesus College, Oxford; Prof. W. E. 

 Dalbv, professor of civil and mechanical engineering 

 at the Imperial College of Science and Technology; 

 Dr. T. R. Elliott, lecturer in practical medicine at 

 University College Hospital Medical School; Prof. 

 J. C. Fields, professor of mathematics in Toronto 

 University; Dr. J. S. Flett, assistant director of the 

 Geological Survey of Scotland; Prof. J. P. Hill, 

 Jodrell professor of zoology and comparative anatomy 

 at University College, London ; Mr. A. R. Hinks, 

 chief assistant at the Cambridge University Observa- 

 tory ; Prof. F. Keeble, professor of botany in Univer- 

 sity College, Reading; Prof. A. Keith, Hunterian 

 professor of the Royal College of Surgeons; Dr. K. 

 Lucas, lecturer in natural sciences, Trinity College, 

 Cambridge; Prof. O. W. Richardson, professor of 

 physics in Princeton University; Dr. W. Rosenhain, 

 superintendent of the metallurgical department of the 



