adrien dollfus was the grandson of alsatian factory owner jean dollfus. he was born in dornach, alsace, now part of the city of mulhouse, haut-rhin. he completed a bachelor of science degree and then began a lifelong study of crustaceans and trilobites. in 1870 he founded the publication "la feuille des jeunes naturalistes". in 1888 he married anna noémie schlumberger in paris, with whom he had three children.