Holland: John Bkll Haicher. ."i'JD 



Generous subscriptions were made by a number of tiie alumni and 

 friends of Princeton University, and he liimself out of his small 

 savings contributed a large portion of what i)roved to be required 

 to undertake the work. His plans were thoroughly approved and 

 enthusiastically supported by Professor W. B. Scott, the Professor 

 of Geology in Princeton. Three expeditions were made. The 

 first extended from March the ist, 1896, to July the i6th, 1S97. 

 On this expedition Mr. Hatcher was accompanied by his brother- 

 in-law, Mr. O. A. Peterson, as an assistant. The second expedition 

 extended from November the 7th, 1897, to November the 9th, 

 1898. On this expedition Mr. Hatcher was accompanied by Mr. 

 A. E. Colburn as taxidermist. The third expedition was carried 

 on from December the 9th, 1898, to September the ist, 1899, when 

 again Mr. O. A. Peterson accompanied Mr. Hatcher as his assistant. 

 The story of these expeditions has been published in the first volume 

 of the Reports of the Princeton University Expeditions to Patagonia, 

 which are being issued under the editorial supervision of Professor 

 \Villiam B. Scott upon the J. Pierjiont Morgan Publication Fund of 

 Princeton University, the fund having been generously given by 

 Mr. Morgan in order that the scientific information secured by Mr. 

 Hatcher might be made known to the world. In the conduct of 

 these expeditions Mr. Hatcher strikingly revealed not only his 

 great scientific insight, but his undaunted courage and great tenacity 

 of purpose. Twice he came near losing his life, once as the result 

 of a singular accident which befell him while taking a lonely ride 

 across the pampas, once while confined to his tent amidst the deep 

 snows of winter by a violent attack of inflammatory rheumatism, 

 during which his solitary companion ministered to him as well as 

 he could, at one time hourly expecting that the life of the intrepid 

 explorer was about to end. Fortunately he recovered, but the 

 terrible sickness through which he had passed left its impress upon 

 him ever afterwards, although he was never willing to admit, even 

 when suffering intense pain, that he was other than strong and 

 capable of enduring hardships as in former days. 



The results of Mr. Hatcher's explorations in Patagonia were of 

 the most important character. The collections of vertebrate fossils 

 made by him and his assistants, and now preserved at Princeton 

 University, are enormous in extent and of the very highest scientific 



