Cramer, C.

Mousson, A.

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Correspondence—A Bust to Prof. 0. Heer. 143philosophical chair in his native town, where he exhibited all thehigh qualities of his exalted intellect.It is equally well known that he interested himself all his life inour scientific and literary institutions as well as the intellectual andmaterial development of our ancient Republic. Many of hiswritings, unknown doubtless elsewhere, were received here, and theSociety for the Advancement of Art founded by him still continuesa work to which he was devoted.Even when this monument to his memory shall have been raisedon foreign soil, Geneva will show its gratitude towards those whohave taken the initiative in this demonstration, and will honour thosewho take part in it.It is with this firm assurance that the Committee at Geneva isformed to collect subscriptions.The inauguration of the memorial is projected for the 3rd ofAugust, 1887, that being the centenary of H. B. de Satissure'sascent of Mont Blanc. There is therefore no time to be lost that itmay be finished by that date. It is important that the InitiativeCommittee at Chamounix should know as soon as possible the sumthey have at their disposal, in order to decide what form the monu-ment should take. ALPHONSE FAVBE,6, RUE DES GRANGES, GENEVA, President of the Swiss20th December, 1885. Geological Commission.A MONUMENT FOR PROFESSOR OSWALD HEER OP ZURICH.SIR,—Two years have passed since Death carried off one of themost eminent naturalists of our age—Oswald Heer. He died on the27th of September, 1888. The fitting moment seems to have arisento render Dr. Heer a public acknowledgment and to raise a lastingmonument to his memory. We are glad to be able to inform you thata sculptor of Zurich, M. Horbst, has modelled a bust in clay, whichgives the naturalist's expression in the most pleasing manner.The work of Heer was wide-spread. Although truly Swiss atheart, and studying with delight the primitive history and flora ofhis native land, his researches extended far beyond the limits of hisown country. He had become one of the highest authorities on thedomain of vegetable paleontology, and from all parts of the world,from the islands of Sunda and from " hyperborean" lands, fromPortugal and Eastern Siberia, from the New World as well as theOld, he gathered materials for his researches, and specimens camefor identification. The works of Heer on the fossil flora of thePolar regions have placed him among the foremost ranks as one ofthe founders of modern botanical geography; for to him, and himalone, is due the merit of having discovered, by studying the mar-vellous Tertiary flora of Greenland, Spitzbergen, and Arctic America,facts of the utmost importance to science. His name will perpetu-ally remain united with those who have explored Arctic regions,his researches will long form the basis of our knowledge of pre-historic climates.Feeling assured of the eminently international character of Heer'shttps://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756800190259Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. University of Basel Library, on 11 Jul 2017 at 07:16:32, subject to the144 Obituary—Prof. A. von Lasaulx.work, we confidently appeal to all to raise a worthy monument tohis memory.It is proposed that this monument should consist of a marble buston a stone pedestal, protected in a suitable manner from the in-clemencies of the weather, to be placed in the Botanical Gardens atZurich, on the spot where Heer's energy was so well displayed.The price of the memorial would reach about 5000 francs.Besides which, the sculptor, M. Horbsr, is prepared to execute, for150 francs each, plaster casts of the original. If you desire one ofthese copies, have the goodness to inform us, when sending yourcontribution. Subscriptions will be gratefully received by Dr. C.Schroter at Hottingen, Zurich. They may be sent direct, or throughthe medium of the undersigned.Prof. Dr. A. MOUSSON, Polytechnikum, Zurich.Prof. Dr. C. CKAMEB, „ „OBITTJAEY.PROFESSOR A. VON LASAULX PH.D.WE deeply regret to have received tidings of the death of thisdistinguished German Geologist and Mineralogist, which took placeat Bonn, on the 25th January last, after a short illness. Dr. VonLasaulx was only in his 47th year; yet he had been the author ofa remarkably large number of Memoirs on petrological subjects, aswell as of more solid works, of which, perhaps, the joint work onEtna of Sartorius von Waltershausen and himself is the mostsplendid example. In 1876 Dr. von Lasaulx, in company with hisfriend Dr. Ferdinand Roemer, of Breslau, visited the British Isles ;and was present at the meeting of the British Association in Glasgowin that year. On his return to Bonn, he published an account ofhis wanderings, in the form of a handsome book, "Aus Irland,Reiseskizzen und Studien," in which the physical features andgeological structure of the districts visited are closely noted andgraphically described, together with the mineral characters andcomposition of many of the rocks as determined under the micro-scope ; of these, the most important was the discovery of tridymitein the trachytic rocks of Antrim (Petrographische skizze aus Irland;inineralogischen und petrographischen Mittheilungen, Wien, 1878,p. 410). The volcanic rocks of Bonn and the neighbourhoodafforded a rich field for the petrological investigations of this lamentednaturalist, of which he made abundant use. E. H.We regret to record the death (on the 16th February, from heart-disease) of Mr. W. W. Leighton, who, since the year 1867, hasfilled the office of Clerk to the Geological Society of London, andhas during 19 years been a most faithful and valued servant to theSociety.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756800190259Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. University of Basel Library, on 11 Jul 2017 at 07:16:32, subject to the

A Monument for Professor Oswald Heer of Zurich

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