liv PROCEEDINaS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [May 1 899, 



on geognosy and geology at the Polytechnic School and with the 

 management of the mineralogical collection. 



In 1869 he became a Member of the Eoyal Bavarian Academy. 

 A reorganization of the mining administration took place in that 

 year, and the Geological Survey, under him, was brought into that 

 department, the rank of Oberbergrath being conferred upon him at 

 the same time. Ten years later he was made chief of the whole 

 department, as Oberbergdirector, an office which he held to the 

 last, or for nearly 20 years. 



At the beginning of 1897, when he was suffering from the illness 

 which proved ultimately fatal, the rank of Privy Councillor was 

 accorded to him. He was also a Member of many learned societies, 

 and of various Orders of knighthood. Moreover, on account of his 

 great services in the matter of water-supply, the City of Munich 

 conferred upon him the distinction of honorary citizenship. 



He was elected a Foreign Correspondent of this Society in 1863, 

 and a Foreign Member in 1877. 



His chief official work is the geological description of Bavaria, in 

 four large volumes ; eighteen sheets of the map have also been issued. 

 But he has also published some six score memoirs, papers, etc., 

 several of the size of books, and treating of all branches of geological 

 science, his palaeontological work being concerned more especially 

 with the smallest forms. 



He often directed his knowledge to the solution of practical 

 problems, and in mining matters folk turned to him as the most 

 trustworthy authority. 



He died, it may be said, in harness on June 18th, 1898, and his 

 body was cremated, according to his wish.^ 



By the death of James Hall on August 7th, 1898, we lost our 

 senior Foreign Member and our senior WoUaston Medallist, for he 

 was elected so long ago as 1848, and received the medal (with H. von 

 Meyer) in 1858 together with the Proceeds of the fund. 



He was born at Hingham (Mass.) on September 12th, 1811, and 

 educated at the Eensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, in the State 

 of New York, graduating in 1832, and then serving as Professor of 

 Chemistry and Natural Science, and afterwards of Geology. 



Hall joined the Geological Survey of the State of New York in 1836, 

 and remained on it till the day of his death, a continuous service of 



1 The above notice is summarized from a full account of his life in the 

 Bericht. d, k. Techn. Hochschule, Munich, for 1897-98. There is another 

 account, with a bibhographical hst, in the Verb. k.-k. geol. Eeichsanst. 1898, 

 pp. 261-268. 



