58 



THE SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY OF HERMANN STREBEL 

 (Jan. ist, 1904). 



(Read before the Society, March 9, 1904). 



It is not in the least extraordinary for a man of affairs to devote his 

 leisure to scientific study, but it is quite unusual for him to show such 

 power that learned men who have made it their profession regard him 

 as a distinguished authority. This is the case with our fellow con- 

 chologist, Hermann Strebel. When fifteen years old he went to 

 Mexico and stayed there as a merchant until 1869, that is a period of 

 twenty years. At Vera Cruz he became acquainted with Dr. Hermann 

 Berendt, who introduced him to the delights of zoology and 

 archaeology, thus stimulating the scientific activity which, after his 

 return home, Strebel at once began to exercise with all the activity of 

 his nature. At first he turned his attention to working out his 

 zoological collections. His book on the fauna of Mexico was finished 

 in 1882, after six years' work; it ranks among the best and most 

 detailed faunistic monographs, and gained for the author the undivided 

 esteem of all contemporary authorities. The chief value of this book 

 lies not so much in the fact that it increases our knowledge of Mexican 

 zoology as in the scientific treatment of the subject, and in the state- 

 ment and solution of many problems regarding form and colour to 

 which his skill was peculiarly adapted. Another important feature is 

 the demonstration of groups of forms, still in the course of transmuta- 

 tion, in accordance with our modern theory of evolution and with the 

 recent discoveries of palseontology. All, this, together with a large 

 number of illustrations, either photographed or drawn by the author, 

 did much to recommend the book; it was, as Mr. Pilsbry, one of the 

 first authorities, has said, "ahead of the times." 



After the completion of this zoological work Strebel turned his 

 attention to Mexican archaeology, which he had been studying for 

 some years. His writings on this subject are comprised in ten treatises 

 containing 118 plates, the last of them is still in the press. The two 

 volumes on Old Mexico and the more recent studies of ornaments 

 and earthen vessels are the most important, though all are pre-eminent 

 and have done more, perhaps, than the zoological works to mark 

 Strebel's career as that of a great scholar. 



Besides devoting himself to productive work he took a great interest 

 in the scientific life of his native city. He was a permanent and 

 active member of the Commission for the Natural History and 

 Ethnological Museums; for thirty years, too, he has been one of the 

 most energetic and respected members of the Natural Science 



