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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIV. No. 347. 



tions of tlie Liver/ ' Ptomaines and Leuco- 

 maines in their Kelation to Disease,' ' The 

 Larynx as an Instrument of Music,' etc. 

 The mere mention of these varied subjects 

 indicates the breadth of his interests and 

 sympathies, but they by no means measure 

 his intellectual activity. He was an active 

 and successful exponent of the doctrine of 

 evolution, and extended its principles to 

 many fields of thought. Indeed, the evo- 

 lutionary idea was the dominant note in 

 nearly all his many philosophical writ- 

 ings and addresses. His strong advocacy 

 of evolution as a principle running through 

 all nature may be regarded as the most 

 fruitful of his life's labors. On the battle 

 ground, not long since so fiercely contested, 

 between science and religion, he did splen- 

 did work, not, however, intensifying and 

 embittering the strife, but in the work 

 of conciliation, in the demonstration to 

 thoughtful man in the camp of the churches 

 that there could be no real conflict between 

 seekers for truth whether in the pulpit or in 

 the laboratory ; that science sought simply 

 the truth, nothing more, nothing less, and 

 that in so far as scientific truth rested on a 

 verifiable basis it was futile for the church 

 to assail it. 



But science, philosophy and religion 

 failed to suffice his vigorous intellectual 

 appetite. He was strongly interested in 

 art ; and the principles of art and their re- 

 lation to science was one of his favorite 

 themes. 



It is needless to say that a man so fruit- 

 ful of ideas as Professor Le Conte, so happy 

 and so forceful in their expression, was 

 eminently successful as a lecturer and pub- 

 lic speaker. "While he rather shrank from 

 extempore addresses he was always willing 

 to speak on public occasions and was al- 

 ways in demand. 



Professor Le Conte's scientific work and 

 influence extended beyond the writing of 

 papers and books. He entered heartily 



into the scientific life of the nation and 

 took an active interest in various organiza- 

 tions which have for their purpose the 

 strengthening and extending the love of 

 science among the people. He was a mem- 

 ber of the National Academy of Sciences, 

 associate fellow of the American Academy 

 of Arts and Sciences, corresponding mem- 

 ber of the New York Academy of Sciences, 

 member of the American Philosophical So- 

 ciety, fellow of the American Association 

 for the Advancement of Science and past- 

 president of the same, fellow of the Geolog- 

 ical Society of America and past-president 

 of the same, life member of the California 

 Academy of Sciences, member of the Bos- 

 ton Society of Natural History, honorary 

 member of the Brooklyn Ethical Associa- 

 tion, member of the Iowa Academy of Sci- 

 ences, member of the Davenport Academy 

 of Sciences, member of the American In- 

 stitute of Mining Engineers, member of the 

 National Geographical Society, member of 

 the International Geological Congress and 

 once vice-president of the same, member of 

 the California State Medical Society, hon- 

 orary member of the South Carolina State 

 Medical Society. He was also associated 

 with the editorship of the Journal of Geol- 

 ogy and of Science. 



While Professor Le Conte, by his writings 

 and by his active participation in the pro- 

 ceedings of the various societies just men- 

 tioned, had become a force in the intellectual 

 life of the nation, this was only one element 

 of his remarkable strength at the Univer- 

 sity of California. Here his intellectual 

 achievements were overshadowed by the 

 great and remarkable personality of the 

 man. His singularly sweet and simple 

 character seemed to seize upon all who 

 came in contact with him and bind them 

 to him as admiring friends. Indirection in 

 any of its forms was utterly foreign to his 

 nature. He was true to his ideals through- 

 out life and his influence in the University 



