Obituary—Professor Seebach. 287 
deeper beneath the bottom of the sea than it is beneath the surface 
of dry land. But the rigidity of rock is not merely a function of 
temperature ; it probably increases if the pressure increases, as we 
see from all the meagre information in our possession. Thus we 
know that solid rock probably sinks in melted rock, and _ that, 
therefore, pressure raises its melting-point. Again, we know that the 
interior of the earth is probably at an enormously high temperature, 
and yet Sir William Thomson tells us that on the whole it is 
more rigid than glass. I have good reason for believing, therefore, 
that as the pressure on an isothermal ‘surface beneath an ocean is 
much greater than on the same surface beneath dry land, a surface 
passing through all points where the rock is equally rigid or equally 
strong to resist tensile stresses, and which is the surface I really have 
to deal with in my paper, would probably be several miles deeper off 
the coast of Japan than it is directly underneath dry land.” In my 
ignorance I cannot give with sufficient fullness the clear reasoning of 
my friend; but as what Ihave given seems to be a suitable reply to 
Mr. Fisher’s letter, I must beg you to insert it, since Mr. Milne is too 
far away to reply for himself. Joun Perry. 
Screntiric Crus, 18th May, 1880. 
OBE PU Ave Yi 
—_~<>—— 
PROFESSOR K. A. L. VON SEEBACH. 
Born Ave. 137TH, 1839; Diep Jan. 21st, 1880. 
Kart ALBert Lupwic von SEEBacu was born at Weimar, August 
15th, 1839. When eight years of age, his father, Chamberlain Major 
von Seebach, placed him at Keilhau, near Rudolstadt, where, under 
the teaching of MM. Barop and Middendorf, he passed six happy 
years. In 1853 he returned to Weimar, and entered the Public 
Gymnasium under the direction of Hermann Sauppe. Here he enjoyed 
the advantage of good classical teaching, and at home acquired from 
his father the love of physical science. Major von Seebach had been 
a special favourite of the aged Goethe, who had given him a small 
collection of minerals with a catalogue in his own handwriting ; this 
gave the young officer his first impulse in pursuit of science. 
Goethe’s collection, augmented by the father for the benefit of his 
son, was by the youthful Seebach united to a series of geological 
and paleontological specimens; the whole of these treasures, at a 
later period, were presented to the Gdéttingen Museum. While 
still at school he wrote his first scientific paper, “The Entomo- 
straca of the Thiiringian Trias,” which appeared in the Zeitschrift 
der Deutschen geologischen Gesellschaft (Jg. 1857). His varied 
attainments proved that scientific investigations had taken a firm 
hold on his mind; and when leaving in 1858, the highest certificate 
was bestowed on him by the Governors for his general excellence. 
After his exertions at school and his rapid growth, a very whole- 
some year of mining at Kamsdorf, near Saalfeld in Thiiringia, fol- 
lowed. He still further improved his scientific taste by an academic 
course, and at Haster, 1859, he began to study with Prof. Ferdinand 
