124 KOBELT : OTTO FRANZ VON MaELLENDORFF. 



was won in a place where intellect and science reigned as in few Universities. 



Moellendorff threw himself with all his irdght into the new circum- 

 stances, not only in the Academy but also in the Senckenbergischen 

 Naturforschenden Gesellschaft, whose corresponding member he had 

 been for many years ; in the Verein fiir naturwissenschaftliche Unter- 

 haltung, and in the Anthropological Society, established under his co- 

 operation, he exhibited an ardent and stimulating activity. He under- 

 took in my place the direction of the Malacological Department of the 

 Senckenberg Museum, and commenced to re-arrange the rich collections. 

 But only one happy year was to be granted him. Already in the autumn 

 of 1902 the symptoms of a mysterious disease announced themselves, 

 insignificant in the beginning, but becoming worse and worse. From the 

 first days of 1903 he was obliged to keep to his bed. It was pitiful to see 

 that strong man, in spite of his healthy lively mind, growing bodily weaker 

 and weaker. On the 17th of August a quiet death released him from his 

 sufferings, which had been endured with exemplary patience. 



The masterpiece of Moellendorff's life was his conchological collection. 

 Nine large double cabinets were filled with the treasures which he had 

 collected, partly himself, and partly by exchanging on a large scale in the 

 course of more than thirty years. The collection had been worked through 

 as few have been, and contains the tj'pes of at least 1,500 species and 

 local forms described and named by him ; also innumerable specimens 

 obtained from other authors (co-types), who had very willingly exchanged 

 with the owner of this magnificent collection. 



Success has attended the efforts to acquire this collection, as well as all 

 the scientific materials he left behind, for the Senckenbergische Gesells- 

 chaft, and thus preserve the same for science. It will thus be possible 

 to complete the Land Molluscan Fauna of the Philippines with the help 

 of the list which appeared in 1901. Likewise, I also hope to supply the 

 continuance of the Monograph on the Agnatha for the Conchylienkabinet 

 of Martini and Chemnitz. But the plans Avhich we made together for a 

 Zoogeography of the Philippines on a large scale, have entirely fallen 

 through, for only a man who has a practical knowledge of the country 

 could execute it. Gone are many other intentions which we both thought 

 to accomplish together. For me the hope is entirely gone, that the man 

 eight years my junior, would one day fulfil what I myself can scarcely 

 expect to perform. 



Moellendorff was a man of firm principles, of a straightforward and 

 honest nature, perhaps somewhat too sure of his own opinion, and not easy 

 for everyone to get on with, but absolutely true towards his friends. His 

 power for work was of the first order, and his knowledge was astonishingly 

 many-sided ; there were few branches of knowledge he was a stranger to, 

 and to many men he could be a teacher. During the first decade of his 

 stay in China he wrote several linguistic and geographical papers of impor- 

 tance. His map of the North of China proved of considerable service 



