240 lliscellaneous. 



ivd:isc!:H!XjXj.A.isr:EOus. 



Presisntation of a Gold Medal to Pkofessok Albert GAUDRr^ 



Merab. de I'lnst. de France ; For. Meinb. Royal and GeologicE^l 



Societies, London ; etc., etc. 

 On the 9tli of Marcb, at the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle of Paris, 

 a gold medal was presented to Professor Albert Gaudry by his 

 pupils, friends, and admirers, in order to commemorate the fiftieth 

 anniversary of his connection with the Museum. Over forty French 

 and foreign Academies and scientific bodies had either sent delegates 

 or forwarded written addresses. The principal speakers were 

 Professor Edmond Perrier, Director of the Museum, Docteur Marcellin 

 Boule, Gaudry's pupil and assistant, and Monsieur Liard, " Directeur 

 de FEnseignement superieur," representing the Government. 



In Gaudry's monumental work " Animaux fossiles et Geologie 

 de I'Attique," as well as in all his other publications, the twO' 

 qualities which make the ideal scientist are happily blended 

 together. His broad speculations are solidly rooted upon a minute 

 morphological analysis, accompanied by clear and concise descriptions. 

 It will, as time goes on, be still more universally and gratefully 

 acknowledged than at present that Gaudr3' — and, at exactly the same 

 time, Eiitimeyer — were the first paleeontologists who courageously 

 stood up for the doctrine of Evolution with solid arguments based 

 on laborious researches. This, which is one of Gaudry's chief 

 glories, was duly accentuated in M. Boule's discourse. " You will 

 never know sufficiently, my dearest master, how large has been 

 the influence you exercised, towards 1880, on the youths who 

 frequented the natural history amphitheatres. Your book {Un- 

 cTiainements du Monde animal) had not only for us the attraction 

 of a splendid scientific work, we considered it also as an act of 

 independence and of courage. In fact, twenty years ago, the 

 majority of our professors were hostile to the theory of Evolution ; 

 some of them kept themselves in a prudent reserve ; very few were 

 daring enough to base their teaching on the theory of evolution ; 

 they had for adversaries the princes of science, the dispensers of 

 appointments and of favours. Your Enchainements convinced those 

 naturalists who had not been persuaded by argument taken from 

 comparative anatomy or embryology. Your conclusions were based 

 solely on the patient study of facts ; they were real proofs, and have 

 been of considerable weight in ensuring the triumph of the new ideas." 



Besides the scientist there is the man. " L'essence de votre 

 nature c'est la bonte," said Boule to his beloved master, and all 

 of us who enjoy the privilege of personal acquaintance with 

 Professor Gaudry gladly and heartily endorse these words. 



Afterfifty years labour devoted to the building up and arrangement of 

 the magnificent collections displayed in the Museum of Palaeontology 

 in the Jardin des Plantes, Professor Gaudry retires to the enjoyment 

 of his well-earned repose, carrying with him the loving regard and 

 earnest good wishes of a very wide circle of friends and men of 

 science in all parts of the world in which his name and writings 

 have become known and warmly appreciated. F. M. 



