November 5, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



631 



of the leaders of modern Japanese thought — 

 perhaps the most effective scholar in his rela- 

 tion to public affairs which Japan has ever 

 produced. In his special line of zoology, he 

 was the author of numerous papers; and his 

 influence in his own field has been still more 

 marked by the development of many young 

 men, and by the establishment of the Seaside 

 Laboratory at Misaki, where much excellent 

 work has been done by Japanese, as well as 

 by American and European naturalists. 



Dr. llitsukuri was born in Edo, Japan, on 

 December 1, 1857. He was the second son of 

 Shuhyo llitsukuri, a retainer of the former 

 feudal lord of Tsuyama. After passing 

 through the local schools, Mitsukuri came to 

 America in 1873, and entered the Hartford 

 Academy, in Connecticut. The next year he 

 attended the Troy Polytechnic School, and 

 two years later he entered Tale, where he 

 received the degree of Ph.D. in zoology in 

 1879. In 1881, he studied zoology under 

 Professor Balfour, of the University of Cam- 

 bridge. Eetuming to Japan, he was appointed 

 a professor of zoology, in 1882, in the science 

 department of the University of Tokyo. In 

 1883, he received the degTee of Ph.D. in zool- 

 ogy from Johns Hopkins University. In 1893, 

 he was appointed councilor of the Imperial 

 University. In 1896, he was made head of a 

 commission for the investigation of the fur 

 seal, and in 1897, he signed in behalf of Japan 

 a treaty whereby Japan agreed for a certain 

 length of time to consent to any adjustment 

 of this matter which might be made by Great 

 Britain and the United States. In 1901, Dr. 

 Mitsukuri was made dean of the College of 

 Science of the Imperial University of Tokyo. 

 In 1907, he was awarded the Order of the 

 Sacred Treasure, in recognition of his public 

 relations. 



Dr. Mitsukuri's grandfather, Dr. Gempo 

 Mitsukuri, is well known as the pioneer Dutcli 

 scholar of Japan. Ilis father was also noted, 

 as a student of Chinese classics. His xmcle 

 was one of the most noted jurists of his time. 

 His elder brother, now deceased, was also an 

 eminent scholar. His third brother is Baron 

 Kikuchi, who was president of the University 

 of Tokyo, and afterwards at the head of the 



public school system of Japan. His name was 

 changed from Mitsukuri to Kikuchi, in accord- 

 ance with the Japanese custom of adoption, he 

 having been adopted into the family of one of 

 his relatives. A younger brother is still a 

 professor of history in the college of literature. 



Of late years, Dr. Mitsukuri was engaged 

 in the special study of the turtles. He was 

 also largely occupied with matters of admin- 

 istration. He was one of the best representa- 

 tives of the scholar in public life which mod- 

 ern Japan has produced. He had a most thor- 

 ough knowledge of the English language, and 

 of affairs in America, and his intense sym- 

 pathy with American point of view caused 

 him to be invaluable in the preservation of 

 good feeling between these two nations which 

 in modern times have come to border upon 

 each other. 



This is illustrated in the following extract 

 from a personal letter written by Dr. Mitsu- 

 kuri to the present writer in the year 1900. 



The history of the international relations be- 

 tween the United States and Japan is full of 

 episodes which evince an unusuall.y strong and 

 almost romantic friendship existing between the 

 two nations. In the first place, Japan has never 

 forgotten that it was America who first roused 

 her from the lethargy of centuries of secluded life. 

 It was through the earnest representations of 

 America that she concluded the first treaty with 

 a foreign nation in modern times, and opened lier 

 country to the outside world. Then, all tlirough 

 the early struggles of Japan to obtain a standing 

 among the civilized nations of the world, America 

 always stood by Japan as an elder brother by a 

 younger sister. It was always America who first 

 recognized the rights of Japan in any of her at- 

 tempts to retain autonomy within her own terri- 

 tory. A large percentage of foreign teachers 

 working earnestly in schools was Americans, and 

 many a Japanese recalls witli gratitude the great 

 efforts his American teachers made on his behalf. 



Then, kindness and hospitality shown thousands 

 of youths who went over to America to obtain 

 their education have gone deep into the heart of 

 the nation, and, what is more, many of these 

 students themselves are now holding important 

 positions in the country, and they always look 

 back with afl'ectionate feelings to their stay in 

 America. Again, such an event as the return of 

 the Shimonoseki indemnity — the like of which is 



