144 Obituary — Frederick William Rudler, I.S.O., F.G.S. 



1902. His duties during these twenty-two years were strenuous 

 and trying owing to the great and critical changes in the establish- 

 ment which took place, changes much deprecated by our old friend, 

 who was dearly attached to the Survey and its Museum. The 

 most obvious of these changes was the final removal of the Royal 

 School of Mines and the division of the Library, nearly half the 

 books being carried off to South Kensington, and the sad depletion 

 of the Museum by the elimination of the unique collections of pottery 

 and of metal-work. 



Mr. Rudler served under four well-known Directors, Sir Roderic 

 Murchison, Sir Andrew Ramsay, Sir Archibald Geikie, and Dr. J. J. H. 

 Teall, and so much were his services appreciated by them and by the 

 Science and Art Department at South Kensington that, upon his 

 retirement, he received from King Edward the Imperial Service Order. 



As a mineralogist Mr. Rudler was most accomplished, being able 

 to identify and name any mineral specimen at sight, and could state 

 its properties and locality with wonderful precision. 



Beyond his official duties Mr. Rudler was also an eloquent speaker 

 and a voluminous writer. He was intimately connected with a number 

 of our scientific societies, and for many years took a prominent part 

 in the British Association meetings. His long courses of lectures 

 for the Society for the Extension of University Teaching were highly 

 appreciated, and he was constantly called upon to lecture upon 

 special subjects in which he greatly excelled. Much of his writing 

 was devoted to works on technical science; the 1875 edition of 

 lire's Dictionary of Arts and l£a?iufactures was chiefly, one may say, 

 his writing. Many articles of his will be found in the Encyclopedia 

 Britannica, in Thorpe's Dictionary of Applied Chemistry, in Muir's 

 Dictionary of Chemistry, and elsewhere. Nor must one omit to 

 mention the Guide to the Museum of Practical Geology and his 

 Catalogue of Pottery and Porcelain. His scientific reviews are to be 

 found scattered through some of our leading journals for years past, 

 and his connexion with the Athenceum was continued until his death. 



Mr. Rudler was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society in 1870, 

 and was awarded the Lyell Medal by the Council in 1903, in 

 recognition of his great services to geological science by his lectures 

 and his writings. He joined the Geologists' Association in 1874, 

 and was elected President in 1887-9. Special reference must be 

 made to his Presidential Address, " Fifty Years Progress in British 

 Geology," and to his masterly essays on Experimental Geology. 



On the occasion of the Fourth Session of the International Geo- 

 logical Congress, held in London September 17-23, 1888, under 

 the Presidency of Professor Prestwich, F.R.S., Mr. F. "W. Rudler 

 was appointed Honorary Treasurer, and fulfilled the difficult task 

 to the great advantage of the members of the Congress, from whom 

 he received grateful thanks. 



Some few years ago our dear friend, finding it necessary to give up 

 very much of his lecturing and literary labours, retired to his quiet 

 home at Tatsfield, where he resided until he passed away peacefully 

 to his rest. 



E. T. N. 



