ARNOLD - LUCIEN MONTANDON (1852 – 1922 - Travaux

ARNOLD – LUCIEN MONTANDON (1852 – 1922) 489
In their paper from 1985, based only on archive documents, Marinescu and
Ionescu underlined: «Au sein de la IV-e section – Anthropologie, Zoologie,
Botanique – le diplôme d’honneur est obtenu par le Musée d’Histoire naturelle de
Bucarest et Grigore Antipa reçoit la médaille d’or. Le préparateur du musée, R.
Dombrowski, reçoit, pour les pièces réalisées, la medaille d’argent et l’intendant
Constantin Danescu, une mention», but they did not mention Montandon, probably
because of the absence of some documents.
1904, 6 th of February – Montandon’s hemipteran-heteropteran collection, as
well as his specialized library were bought by the Ministry of Culture and Public
Education and donated to the Museum. The collection consisted in 4,950 species
represented by 22,552 specimens, 316 of them being type specimens, and the library
has 764 volumes and 15 journal series and different periodicals (Marinescu &
Ionescu op.cit.). Regarding heteropteran collection, Antipa declared later that it is
«una dintre cele mai bune colecþiuni din lume» (one of the best collections of the
world) (Antipa, 1923). Comparing these data on the collection with those from the
original inventory, published by Andrei in 1981 (inventory whose vanished
foreword indicated undoubtedly the exact date), we can observe that they are
identical, with a little exception, i.e. 4,954 species reported by Montandon in the
original inventory, not 4,950. Because on the last page of the original document
Montandon wrote: «Collection et Bibliothèque se trouvent dans une grande armoire
vitrée» we are sure that it is about just the inventory of the collection bought by the
Ministry, in 1904 (Fig. 3).
We think that an original list 6 , written by Montandon, including the
specialized publications which he had at a time (the last booked titles being made in
1903), represents just the titles present in his library, which he sold to the Ministry
later, together with the heteropteran collection, at the beginning of 1904. Making
only a numerical comparison between this list with the data published by Marinescu
and Ionescu, the results are very close. We hope that our future studies will confirm
our hypothesis, the more so as in the Museum Library there are most of the authors
included in the above-mentioned list.
1905, 11 th of April – he became Foreign corresponding member of the
Romanian Academy – Scientifical Department. He was elected with 22 “pro” and 3
“against” votes by 25 voters. Dr. Constantin Istrati is that one who read «expunerea
asupra scrierilor ºi activitãþii ºtiinþifice a d-lui A. L. Montandon, propus de
Secþiunea ªtiinþificã spre a fi ales membru corespondent strãin» 7 (the speech on A.
L. Montandon’s papers and scientifical activity, proposed by the Scientifical
Department to become foreign corresponding member). After the presentation of the
main events of the self-educated naturalist’s life and work, of the well-known
specialized journals where he had published, pointing out his wonderful character,
Dr. C. Istrati ended this way: «În ce priveºte (…) Hemiptera, d-sa a ajuns o
adevãratã autoritate. Fructele cãlãtoriilor depãrtate culese de naturaliºti englezi,
francezi etc., (…) sunt trimise de British Museum, de Museum d’histoire naturelle,
etc., lui Montandon la Bucureºti, spre a fi determinate. Trebuie sã fim fericiþi,
Domnilor Colegi, ca în astfel de împrejurãri sã-l alipim Academiei ca membru
corespondent strãin. Vom rãsplãti astfel munca sa în cunoaºterea unei pãrþi a
faunei române» (As regards (…) Hemiptera he became a real authority. The “fruits”
of the long trips, picked up by English, French and other naturalists (…) are sent by
the British Museum, by the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, etc. to Montandon in
Bucharest, for being identified. We have to be happy, dear colleagues, that under