2 74 PROFESSOR EDUARD SUESS 



are seen occurrences of different times which throughout cannot be 

 brought into harmony with the chmatic conditions of the glacial 

 period nor with those of the present; thus this entire younger epoch 

 appears as an exception. One gets the impression that not at all 

 times did there exist the present diversity of climate, and also that 

 the diversity of life was not at all times a varied one. The great 

 Indian land fauna of today, with its tigers and elephants, can be con- 

 sidered as an independent unity, but here and there it is accom- 

 panied by older Malayan remnants which increase the diversity. 



Gentlemen, as you see by this attempted survey, I can point 

 out only some of the various directions in which our studies may 

 be continued, and there exist so many hundreds and hundreds of 

 questions that all, even the keenest ambition, will find the portals 

 open and may hope for satisfaction. New discoveries are in pros- 

 pect for all conscientious inquirers. 



In the course of the years I have seen and experienced much. 

 In the beginning a man has honestly to endeavor with zeal, and 

 with certain restrictions upon himself, to learn the detail; and some- 

 times the hair whitens before he is in a position to obtain a general 

 view and to risk a first synthetic attempt. This first step to syn- 

 thesis is, however, the deciding step in the life of the inquirer. 

 Soon he notes that his judgment obtains more consideration among 

 his colaborers; he becomes more careful and conservative with the 

 same; and finally the hour arrives in .which his soul is filled with 

 the highest satisfaction, because he has been able to add to human 

 knowledge some new view or a new fact — a feeling over against 

 which everything naturally vanishes that the outer world is able to 

 offer in acknowledgment. 



Bulwer Lytton says in his novel: "When a man of great age 

 is surrounded by children, he then sees at the end of his days, not 

 a period, but only a comma." This applies in equal measure to 

 the inquirer and to his students. This is my good fortune, which 

 today becomes my portion. 



Many have departed from us. The dumb tablets in our collec- 

 tion halls give their names, and it is our duty today to remember them 

 gratefully. Stolizcka found his end on Kara-Korum, Lend on 

 Kilima-ndjara, FouUon on Gaudalcanar; Rodler brought his death 



