414 F. W. Simonds — Life of l)r. Ferdinand von Roemer. 



features of the state are well shown and with an unexpected degree 

 of accuracy. 



But Eoemer's American studies were by no means confined to 

 Texas. In 1860 he published " Die Silurische Fauna des Westlichen 

 Tennessee ; eine Palaeontologische Monographic," with five plates. 



In June, 1848, he became Privat Docent in mineralogy and 

 palaeontology at Bonn. That his studies in Texas were still upper- 

 most in thought is apparent from the title of his probationary 

 discourse, "Eine iihersichtliche Darstellung der Geognostischeu 

 Verhaltnisse von Texas." His natural gifts as a teacher rendered 

 possible, in 1855, the call to an ordinary professorship in the 

 University of Breslau, in connection with which he became Director 

 of the mineralogical cabinet. Here he found a few minerals, 

 scarcely sufficient to meet the needs of instruction in a realschule, 

 stored away in most inaccessible quarters. At once he determined 

 to undertake the laborious task of making a great collection. How 

 well he succeeded is shown by the fact that he left to his successor 

 one of the richest and best arranged collections of minerals and 

 fossils in any of the Prussian universities. 



In 1861, to the great satisfaction of his colleagues and friends, he 

 declined a flattering call to Gottingen. Five years later, in 1866, 

 his fidelity and labour were rewarded by the removal of his 

 collections into a new and commodious building, erected largely 

 after his own plans, on the Oder, between Schuhbriicke and Univer- 

 sitatsplatz. In arranging the collections in their new apartments 

 Dr. Eoemer was ably assisted by Oberbergrath Martin Websky, 

 who under his influence soon resolved to devote himself entirely 

 to science, becoming first extraordinary professor at Breslau and 

 later the successor of Gustav Rose at Berlin. It was not a small 

 matter to have discovered such a man. But his influence with his 

 students was also great, for on the list of those who, under the 

 inspiration of his teaching, took upon themselves science as a life- 

 work we find such names as H. Credner, W. Dames, K. Hintze, 

 01. Schliiter, Th. Liebisch, H. Eck, K. von Seebach, T. Tietze, and 

 others who have gained recognition in the learned world. Indeed, 

 no better evidence of his unusual power as a teacher is needed. 

 Says one of his students: " His love of teaching, his ready utterance, 

 his kindly care for his pupils, remained unchanged to the end. 

 When well advanced in years he taught with the same zeal, the 

 same vivacity, and the same clearness that characterized his work 

 when a young man." ^ 



While his activity in the routine duties of his professorship was 

 very great it was not less in the direction of research and investiga- 

 tion. In the Neues Jahrbuch f. Min. Geol. und Pal. Dr. Dames has 

 listed over 350 titles of publications in the interval between his 

 graduation, in 1842, and his death in 1891, many of which represent 

 long and patient investigations. While it would not be possible 

 within the limits of this sketch even to mention all the subjects 

 covered, for they are of wide range, attention may be called to 



' Dames. 



