Obituary — Charles Waehsmuth. 189 



form it is always to be written with a small initial letter : e.g. 

 Antillarum, Gallia, lybicus, cegyptiacus, etc." 



It is then strange, but true, that the name Merocrinus Salopice is 

 not only in conformity with Latin usage, but also with the rules of 

 zoologists. As for euphony, tastes differ, especially in different 

 countries. Mr. Jukes-Browne modestly shrinks from the Latinized 

 genitive of " Bell " ; some, however, find more pungent offence in 

 the adjectival form of my critic's own name, even when screened by 

 a "jukes " or similar useful prefix. Still, these objections are purely 

 provincial ; they would not be felt by a German or Japanese ; they 

 have no place in orthography or zoology. And is it not absurd of 

 Mr. Jukes-Browne and myself to be discussing a mode of nomen- 

 clature that he has taken a vow never to employ, a vow which 

 I hope we shall both live long to keep ? 



Natural History Museum, S.W. -p, * Ti.mTTinT, 



March Uh, 1896. i. A. .BATHER. 



OBITXJABY. 



CHARLES WACHSMUTH. 



Born September 13th, 1829. Died February 7th, 1896. 



The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard is about to 

 publish " A Monograph of the Crinoidea Camerata of North America," 

 in two volumes, consisting of 800 pages and 83 plates. This great 

 work is the result of some 40 years' labour on the part of Charles 

 "Waehsmuth, of Burlington, Iowa, assisted for about half that period 

 by Frank Springer. Those who have followed the writings of these 

 palaeontologists, and who are looking forward to this climax of their 

 efforts, will deeply regret to hear of the death of the senior author, 

 which has deprived him of the congratulations of his colleagues and 

 the joy of an aspiration fulfilled. 



Charles Waehsmuth was the only son of Christian Waehsmuth, 

 an eminent lawyer of Hanover, Germany, in which city he was born 

 and educated. He abandoned the profession of the law on account 

 of weak health, and early turned his attention to commerce. 



Tn 1852 Charles Waehsmuth went to New York as an agent for 

 a Hamburg shipping house in the interest of German emigration. 

 Here he remained for two years, but as the climate did not agree 

 with him, he removed to Burlington, Iowa, where he finally settled, 

 having married, in 1856, Miss Bernandina Lorenz. Up to this 

 time Waehsmuth had paid no attention to science, but being still of 

 weak health, he was advised by his physician to spend as much time 

 as possible in the open air, and to take to fossil-collecting. The 

 magnificent remains contained in the Burlington Limestone, especially 

 the fossil crinoids, soon aroused in him the enthusiasm that ceased 

 otdy with death. In less than three years he had made a collection 

 whose fame extended into other States. Excited by the report of 

 Jules Marcou, in 1864 Louis Agassiz visited Burlington, and struck 

 by the intelligence of Waehsmuth invited him to Cambridge. Thither 

 he went, in 1865, on his way to Europe. This journey was used by 



