MORSE, EDWARD SYLVESTER 1 1838—). An American naturalist and archxologist, born at Portland, Maine. lie was educated at Bethel Academy, Maine, and at the Lawrence Scientific School, Cambridge. Ile was professor of com parative anatomy and zoology at Bowdoin Col lege from 1871 to 1874, and at the Imperial Uni versity, Tokio, Japan, from 1577 to 1880. In 1881 he was appointed director of the Peabody Academy of Sciences, of which he was a founder. He also became known as a popular lecturer on natural history and Oriental travel. Morse es tablished a reputation early as a zoOlogist by the following studies of brachiopods. which proved them not to be mollusks: Early Stages, of 'Fere bra t u 1 ina (1870) : Embryology of Terebra t u incl.
(1872/ S yst en? at lc Posit ion of Brachiopods (1873) . He also wrote .1_ secnding Process of /he Astragalus in Birds (1S50)- While in Japan Morse interested himself greatly in the art, an tiquities. social customs, and folk-lore of the people, and he made extensive collections of pot tery and investigated its prehistoric archaeology.
Some of the results were published in the hooks: Ja panese Homes card Their (1886); nu. the Older Forms of Terra-Cotta Roofing Tiles ( 1892) ; and other pamphlets and papers, which are regarded as highly im portant by specialists. I1 is unique tion of Japanese pottery and objects of art was bought by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. where it is installed separately as the 'Morse Collection.' of which Professor Morse was made curator. An illustrated Catalogue of it, prepared by Morse, was published by the museum in 1901: it is regarded by critics as "a masterpiece of hard work and intelligence," and a tine example of beautiful book-making. Morse has also had charge for many years of the Musem» of the Peabody Academy of Sciences at lass.