Alton, an Austrian noble family, of Irish descent. I. Richard, count d', a general, born in Ireland in 1732, died in Treves, Feb. 19, 1790. He entered the Austrian service very young, rapidly rose to high rank, and in 1788 became Feldzeugmeister. In November, 1787, he was appointed to the command of the Austrian Netherlands, then in insurrectionary ferment. His harsh measures provoked the first bloodshed at Brussels, June 22, 1788. After the victory of the patriots at Turnhout, Oct. 27, 1789, he gave the order to destroy all rebellious places; but in December, after the outbreak in Brussels, he retreated to Luxemburg, and was recalled to Vienna, but died on the way thither.

II. Edward, count d', brother of the preceding, also a general, born in Ireland in 1737, died Aug. 24, 1793. He distinguished himself in the seven years' and Turkish wars. In 1792 he was imprisoned for writing in defence of his brother's conduct, but afterward commanded a division at the siege of Valenciennes and a corps at that of Dun- kirk, where he was killed.

III. Johanu Wilhelm Ednard d', a German naturalist, horn in Aqui-leia in 1772, died in Bonn, May 11, 1840. He was educated at Vienna, visited Italy, and lived for a long time in the grand ducal park at Tieffurt, near Weimar, where he devoted himself to the study of the fine arts and natu- ral history, especially of the horse. In 1817 and 1818, in company with his friend Pander, he explored France, Spain, Portugal, and Great Britain, for scientific purposes. On his return he became professor of archaeology and tine arts at the university of Bonn. He left a fine collection of paintings and engravings, part of which were purchased by the university and part by Prince Albert, who was one of his Bonn pupils. D'Alton is the author of works on the "Natural History of the Horse" and "Comparative Osteology,11 accompanied with many superb plates, engraved by himself. He took an active part in Dollinger's and Pander's . investigations on the development of chickens in the egg.

IV. Johaan Samuel Eduard, son of the preceding, born at St. Goar, July 17, 1803, died in Halle, July 25, 1854. In 1834 he was appointed professor of anatomy and physiology at Halle. He continued the " Comparative Osteology11 of his father, and published between 1827 and 1838 two volumes on the ostrich and birds of prey. In 1850 he published the first volume of his manual of the " Comparative Anatomy of Man." In 1853 he published Be Monstris, quibus Extremitates Super-fluae suspenses sunt, and in 1854, in concert with Burmeister, Ber fossile Gavial von Boll in Wurtemberg.