clerk in Berlin in 1806, but made the acquaintance of Alexander von Humboldt, who furnished him with means to attend lectures at the university, and afterward took him to Paris in 1813. From 1813 till 1819 Kunth devoted his time to classifying the plants that had been collected by Humboldt and Bonpland during their journey through America. Returning to Berlin in 1820, he became professor of botany at the university, and vice-president of the botanical garden, and in 1829 was elected member of the Academy of sciences of Berlin. In the same year he sailed for South America and visited, during a sojourn of three years, Chili, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Central America, and the West Indies. His collections were bought after his death by the Prussian government, and form a part of the royal herbarium in Berlin. Among his works are “Nova genera et species plantarum quas in peregrinatione ad plagam aequinoctialem orbis novi collegerunt Bonpland et Humboldt” (7 vols., Paris, 1815-'25); “Les mimosées et autres plantes légumineuses du nouveau continent” (1819); “Synopsis plantarum quas in itinere ad plagam æquinoctialem orbis novi collegerunt Humboldt et Bonpland” (1822-'3); “ Les graminées de l'Amérique du Sud” (2 vols., 1825-'33). These four works form parts iii. and iv. of Humboldt and Bonpland's “Voyage dans l'interieur de l'Amérique.” He was the author also of “Handbuch der Botanik” (Berlin, 1831); “Enumeratio plantarum omnium hucusque cognitarum, secundum familias naturales disposita, adjectis characteribus, differentiis, et synonymis” (Stuttgart, 1833-'50); “Lehrbuch der Botanik” (1847); and “Les melastomées et autres plantes légumineuses de l'Amerique du Sud,” being a continuation of Bonpland's work (3 vols., Paris. 1847-'52).
KUNTZE, Edward J., sculptor, b. in
Pomerania, Prussia, in 1826; d. in New York city, 10
April, 1870. He received his artistic education
mostly in Stockholm, Sweden, gained the Roman
prize in the academy of fine arts there, and
subsequently lived for many years in London, England.
In 1852 he came to this country and, devoting
himself to his art, achieved a reputation, and was
elected an associate of the National academy in
1869. Among his works are statuettes of
Shakespeare, Goethe, Irving, Tennyson, and Lincoln; a
statue of “Psyche,” one of “Columbia,” “Puck,”
“Puck on Horseback,” and “Puck on the
Warpath”; a bust of “Mirth”; “Merlin and Vivien,”
in bas-relief; and many medallion portraits and
busts. His principal work, a statue of the “Indian
Minstrel Chiabobos” in Longfellow's “Hiawatha,”
was left unfinished. He exhibited three etchings
at the National academy in 1868, and published a
juvenile book, “Mystic Bells” (New York, 1869).
KUNZ, George Frederick (koonts), mineralogist,
b. in New York city, 29 Sept., 1856. He was
educated at public schools and at the Cooper institute
in New York. His fondness for mineralogy
early asserted itself, and he was led to make
expeditions in search of specimens. When a sufficient
variety was accumulated, he would dispose of
them as collections to colleges and other institutions
of learning. In connection with this work
he became familiar with gems, and was invited to
fill the office of gem expert to the firm of Tiffany
and Co., New York. At present (1887) he is the
best-known specialist on this subject in the United
States, and matters of importance are submitted
to his judgment from all parts of the country.
He is a fellow of the American association for the
advancement of science, and a member of the New
York academy of science, and other scientific
bodies.
Mr. Kunz has contributed papers to scientific
journals and to the popular magazines. He is a
specialist on the staff of the “Century Dictionary,”
and is the author of “Reports on Gems” in the
annual volumes of “Mineral Resources of the
United States” (Washington, 1884-'7). He has now
in preparation books on “Gems” and “Pearls.”
KUNZE, John Christopher (koon'-tseh),
clergyman, b. in Artern, Saxony, 4 Aug., 1744; d. in
New York city, 24 July, 1807. He received his classical
training at Rossleben and Merseburg, and his
theological education at Leipsic. He was for three
years engaged as teacher of the higher branches in
the school at Closter-Bergen, near Magdeburg, and
for one year as inspector of the orphans' home at
Gratz. While engaged at the latter place he was
selected by the theological faculty at Halle to go
to America in response to an application for a
minister from St. Michael's and Zion Lutheran
congregations at Philadelphia, Pa., was ordained by
the Lutheran consistory at Wernigerode, and
arrived in Philadelphia in September, 1770. During
his residence in Philadelphia he opened a theological
seminary, which the Revolutionary war brought
to an end. During the British occupation Zion
church was converted into a hospital, and St.
Michael's was used half the day as a garrison
church. For several years he also occupied the
post of professor in the University of Pennsylvania,
to which he was appointed in 1780, giving instruction
in German and the oriental languages and
literature. The university conferred on him the
degree of M. A. in 1780, and that of D. D. in 1783.
In 1784 he accepted a call to New York, where he
labored until his death. He also occupied the
professorship of oriental languages and literature in
Columbia in 1784-7, and again in 1792-'9. Dr.
Kunze's ability as a Hebrew and Arabic scholar
was recognized outside of his church, and even by
Jewish rabbis, who came to him for information.
He was the leading spirit in the organization, in
1786, of the New York ministerium, the second
Lutheran synod in the United States, and was its
first presiding officer. Dr. Kunze was one of the
earliest of the educated Germans in America who
urged the expediency of giving the German youth
an education in the English language. Through
his influence and that of other progressive clergymen
English came to be used in the pulpits of the
German and Dutch churches, and the congregations
which adhered to the old languages lost many
of their members. His published works include a
“Concise History of the Lutheran Church”; a
small volume of poetry entitled “Something for
the Understanding and the Heart”; “A Table of
a New Construction for Calculating the Great
Eclipse, expected to happen June 16, 1806”;
“Hymn and Prayer Book, for the Use of such
Lutheran Churches as use the English Language,”
the first English Lutheran hymn-book ever
published in the United States, containing hymns
translated from the German collection, in the same
metre as the originals (New York, 1795); and a
“Catechism and Liturgy” (1795). He also
published historical essays, sermons, and addresses.
KUNZE, Richard Ernest, physician, b. in Altenburg, Germany, 7 April, 1838. He came to the United States in 1854, and was graduated at the
Eclectic medical college of New York in 1868, subsequently becoming a member of the board of trustees of this institution, was president of the New
York therapeutical association in 1880, introduced to the medical profession the various cactean drugs, and has added greatly to the previous knowledge of medical botany. He published a
