Obituary—M. René Pourtau. 335 
M. Fourtau at first adopted a somewhat critical attitude. As he 
became acquainte1 with those who formed its staff, he realized that 
they were as keenly interested in geological study as he was himself, 
and this led first to mutual recognition and then fuller co-operation. 
Acting on a suggestion made by one of the authorities at the Natural 
History Museum, the collection of sea-urchins in the Cairo Geological 
Museum was submitted to him for identification and study. The 
satisfactory results obtained led to his being given the rearrangement 
of the fossil collections at the Museum, and finally to his appointment 
as Paleeontologist to the Geological Survey of Egypt. Here he proved 
a most helpful colleague, examining the rich collections which the 
Petroleum Research parties sent in from the field, and promptly 
sending them the results. The catalogues of the Invertebrates in the 
Cairo Geological Museum, published during this period, and 
illustrated by the well-known artist, M. Gauthier, of Sens, remain a 
permanent monument to his industry and scientific acumen. 
In 1916 he entered the field of vertebrate paleontology under 
interesting circumstances. 
The Denbighshire Yeomanry were camped at Moghara, 80 miles 
south-west of Alexandria, a locality already well known to geologists 
as an important source of Miocene fossil vertebrates. It was not 
long before the officers and men discovered these relics of the past, 
and were greatly puzzled at their presence in so arid a waste. A 
large crocodile skull was sent to the Cairo Geological Museum, and 
as a result the writer went to Moghara and explained the nature of 
the occurrence to the troops. It was also arranged with Col. Lloyd, 
the officer commanding, for the collections to be housed at the 
Geological Museum pending decisions as to their final destination, 
and M. Fourtau was deputed both to secure their safe transport, 
and, make further examinations of the exposures. It was also decided 
that he should issue a description of the collections while they were 
still assembled at one spot, the result being the interesting memoir 
(Contribution a Etude des Vertébrés Miocenes de Egypte, Cairo, 
1918), of which advance copies were issued during the war. 
Fourtau also carried out several other important fossil collecting 
expeditions as part of his duties, these including visits to the Wadi 
Natrun and a closer examination of the region of North Sinai, made 
notable by M. Barthoux’ discovery of Jurassic strata. 
Special leave had been granted him to enable him to study the 
paleontological results, in Europe, Professors de Stifani and Stefanini 
placing working rooms at his disposal for this purpose in the Istituto 
Superiore di Geologia of Florence. He had scarcely commenced his 
work there before he fell ill, his death occurring on 2nd November, 
1920. 
Fourtau was gifted with a remarakble memory, and great powers 
or work. His enthusiasm brought him in close touch with a number 
of earnest workers in his own branch of science. He has left behind 
him two memoirs dealing with the North Sinai sea-urchins, which it 
