171 

 CARL EDUARD VON MARTENS: An Obituary Notice. 



By Dr. W. KOBELT. 



(Translated from the " Nachrichtsblatt der Deutschen Malakozoologischen 

 Gesellschaft," and read before the Society, March 8, 1905). 



Plate IV. 



Carl Eduard von Martens was born in Stuttgart, on April 13th, 1831, 

 and was the only son (along with three daughters) of Dr. Georg von 

 Martens, an official in Wiirttemberg Civil Service. The boy, who at 

 an early age showed unusual intellectual power, found the best 

 possible guide in his father, who was highly gifted both as an artist, 

 a naturalist, and an author. His "Journey in Italy" was for a long 

 time in many respects the best extant regarding that peninsula, and 

 is to-day an important source of information for anyone who wishes 

 to learn the condition of Italy one hundred years ago. He had an 

 accurate knowledge of the fauna and flora of Wiirttemberg, and was a 

 keen collector of shells. He transferred his predilection to his son, 

 and this influence was strong enough to overcome that of school. 

 Although young Eduard threw liimself with enthusiasm into the study 

 of the dead languages, and although a "philological vein" was clearly 

 perceptible even in his old age, natural science maintained the upper 

 hand. As Meissner states in the biographical sketch published on 

 the celebration of his seventieth birthday, from which the facts of the 

 present notice are largely taken, snails were, even in his school-days, 

 the chief occupation of the boy, and the whole family shared in his 

 work. His favourite sister, Louisa, who died in 1894, and was a 

 gifted painter, retained a special interest in this study throughout her 

 life, and to her pencil his first great work on the moUusca of his 

 journey to Eastern Asia is indebted for its illustrations. Her eager 

 co-operation, however, had this result, that Martens left his own not 

 inconsiderable powers as a draughtsman undeveloped. 



In addition to the snails, attention to languages was not omitted. 

 In the autumn of 1849 von Martens was able to enter the University 

 of Tubingen, where he devoted himself to the study of medicine. 

 There was at that time no independent curriculum of natural science, 

 and the naturalists of the first half of the last century were almost 

 without exception physicians or errant theologians. The chief influ- 

 ence exerted on him was that of Quenstedt, the palaeontologist, and 

 when the young physician after the State examination in June, 1855, 

 proceeded to the title of doctor, he gained his degree by a dissertation 

 on the distribution of the European land and freshwater Gastropoda. 

 He never once made practical use of his medical quaHfications. In 

 1870 and 1871 he considered the question whether he ought not to 

 devote his professional knowledge to the sick and wounded, but he 



