526 Obituary — Professor Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen. 



I may add that in regard to Mr, C. Keid'e argument and conclusion 

 as to the Trimingham bluffs and their explanation, it is many years 

 since, I think, I conclusively showed the impossibility of his theory, 

 a fact also overlooked by the authors of the much criticized paper 

 in your September number. 



30, COLLINGHAM PlACE, EaRLS CoURT. HeNRY H. HoWOKTH. 



October ith, 1905. 



PROFESSOR BARON FERDINAND VON RICHTHOFEN. 

 Born May 5, 1833. Died October 6, 1905. 



It is with much regret that we record the death of Baron Ferdinand 

 von Kichthofen, Professor of Geography in the Berlin University, 

 and eminent alike as a geologist and geographer; who for the last 

 seventeen years taught in that city, and of whom it has been said 

 that there are few among living German geographers who are not 

 proud to call themselves his pupils. 



Born at Karlsruhe, Silesia, on 5th May, 1833, he studied first at 

 Breslau, and afterwards at Berlin (1850-6), graduating in 1856. 

 His first geological work was performed in the South Tyrol. 



In 1860, with the rank of a Legation secretary, he joined Count 

 Eulenburg's Prussian expedition as geologist, visiting Japan, China, 

 and Siam ; he then left the expedition at Siam and continued his 

 travels in Java, Manila, the Philippines, Celebes, and Burma, spending 

 some time in California and Nevada. In 1868 he went to Shanghai 

 and explored for four years a large part of China, returning to Europe 

 in 1872, to work out the results of his travels. The University of 

 Bonn, after electing him to the Chair of Geography in 1 875, allowed 

 him to complete the first part of his great work on China before 

 taking up his post in 1879. From Bonn he was transferred to 

 Leipsic in 1883, and to Berlin in 1886, where he continued to 

 lecture until the time of his death. It was by his advice that the 

 German Government selected Kiao-chau as its naval base in the 

 Far East, and have subsequently devoted themselves to the special 

 development and exploration of the province of Shantung. 



Baron Eichthofen took an active part in the International 

 Geological Congress held in London, September 17th, 1887. In 

 the following year he was elected a Foreign Member of the 

 Geological Society of London, and in 1892 he received the 

 award of the Wollaston Medal from the Council of that Society. 

 On the occasion of its presentation Sir A. Geikie, the President, 

 said of Baron Richthofeu's great work on the geology of China, 

 " The massive volumes and splendid atlas which contain his 

 account of China form one of the most important contributions 

 ever made to geological literature " (Geol. Mag., 1892, p. 183). 

 His lectures and writings amply testify to the intimate connection 

 which exists between the sciences of geography and geology, and 

 one is led to wonder how they were ever separated. 



