56 PROCEEDINGS OE THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETT. [May 1 894, 



field-work of the Imperial-Royal Geological Survey, and was busied 

 with geological surveys in almost every district of the Austro- 

 Hungarian monarchy. From that period dates a long series of 

 scientific papers, mostly published in the Annuals (Jahrbiicher) of 

 the Survey, and many of these may be regarded as establishing the 

 bases of the geological exploration of the Empire. 



In addition to his geological acquirements, Stur possessed ex- 

 cellent training in and good knowledge of botany ; and so we may 

 easily conceive that, next to his geological field-work, palaBobotany 

 should form his favourite study ; and later, when, owing to his 

 promotion to the post of Vice-Director, he had bidden farewell to 

 work in the field, he devoted himself entirely to the investigation 

 of fossil floras, in particular those of the Culm and Carboniferous 

 formations. An eloquent testimony of his unceasing activity in 

 this direction is afforded by the exhaustive papers on the ' Culm 

 Flora ' and the ' Carboniferous Flora of the Schatzlar Beds/ 

 published by him in the Transactions (Abhandluugen) of the 

 Imperial-Royal Geological Survey (vols, viii. & xi.). 



When, in the year 1885, Fr. von Hauer was appointed Curator of 

 the Imperial-Royal Museum of Natural History, Stur succeeded 

 him in the Directorship of the Imperial-Royal Geological Survey, 

 and fulfilled with zeal and self-sacrificing devotion the duties of this 

 post for very nearly eight years, until a rapidly developing malady 

 of the heart compelled him to request his transfer to the retired 

 list. This request was granted on the 21st October, 1892, together 

 with a flattering distinction in the shape of the Knight's Cross of 

 the Order of Leopold. But retirement did not bring tranquillity to 

 Stur, now become grievously ill, and death released him from his 

 sufferings on the 9th October, 1893, in the 67th year of his age. 



Pierre J. Van Beneden, Foreign Member, was born at Marines 

 on the 19th December, 1809, and received his early education there. 

 Subsequently he studied with a chemist, M. Stoffels, who strongly 

 imbued his pupil with a taste for zoology in addition to other 

 scientific pursuits. In 1831 Van Beneden went to Louvain to 

 pass his examination in Natural Science, obtaining the title of 

 doctor after a year and a half at the University, during which 

 period he continued to occupy himself with zoology, in virtue of 

 his office as Curator of the University collections, which he arranged 

 most thoroughly. 



In order to complete his education Van Beneden spent the years 

 1834 and 1835 in Paris, where he established relations with those 



