NORDLINGER : THE LATE JOSEPH CHARLES HIPPOLYTE CROSSE. 2tJ 



years, and after Fischer's premature death, Crosse still laboured at his 

 task which was not even ended when he died. 



The scientific work of Hippolyte Crosse, which is no less remarkable 

 for quality than for quantity, is the outcome of methodical and perse- 

 vering study of that branch of science to which his life's work was devoted. 



His first important publication in the 2nd vol. of the Journal de 

 Conchy liologie contained the interesting results of his travels withCotteau 

 in the south of France, Italy, Corsica, and Sicily, where many rare 

 shells came under his observation. His connection with travellers in 

 distant lands soon helped to increase his private collection of shells, 

 which it would be difficult to rival both in extent and in interest outside 

 any of the well-known museums. His library was no less complete, 

 and contained some of the rarest conchological works, which were 

 readily placed at the disposal of anyone who cared to come and 

 consult them. 



Unusual intelligence, combined with great conscientiousness, marked 

 every phase of Crosse's work, and these qualities were not restricted 

 to his purely scientific researches, but were equally displayed in the 

 literary and business sides of his labours. Thus he would read the 

 manuscript, review proofs and plates for the Journal, and even attend 

 to the accounts and the minutest administrative details in his desire 

 for completeness and excellence. No one who ever confided a collection 

 of specimens to Crosse's care had cause to regret his confidence, and 

 conchologists of all nations vied in expressing their respect and esteem 

 for his work. 



Crosse published almost all his writings in the Journal, which he 

 thus enriched by some 355 papers and original memoirs, as well as 

 bibliographical analyses and odd notes, containing a mint of useful 

 information. These various publications, written partly in collaboration 

 with Paul Fischer and other authors, have made known nearly 600 new 

 species. The numerous articles which Crosse wrote on Pleurotomaria 

 have done much to demonstrate the importance of this genus, which 

 had long been known in its fossil form, but which had been believed 

 to be extinct, until in 1856 Paul Fischer and Bernardi obtained a 

 living specimen from the Antilles. Crosse soon found a second 

 example in the collection of a Dr. Commarmand, where it had long 

 lain unrecognised. These discoveries aroused such general curiosity 

 that the American Government undertook special deep sea explorations 

 in order to study the abysmal fauna of the Antillean regions. 



Some of Crosse's writings treat of Conchological Palaeontology, 

 but it would be impossible to enumerate a complete list of these and all 

 his other articles here. We may, however, mention a few papers pub- 

 lished outside the. Journal, as for example the Notes on the Terrestrial 



