Fielding Bradford Meek. 171 



Illinois State Geological Survey (published jointly with the 

 Director, Mr. A. H. Worthen), that of t State Geologi- 

 cal Survey ; a part of that of the California Survey ; that of 

 several of the western exploring expeditions, besides those of 

 Dr. Hayden's surveys of the Territories. 



It was the custom of Mr. Meek to publish preliminary de- 

 scriptions of his new species, and afterward elaborate and illus- 

 trate the subjects for final publication. These preliminary 

 papers were published mainly in the Proceedings of the Phila- 

 delphia Academy of Natural Science, while his review.-;, and 

 memoirs on the higher groups were largely published in this 

 Journal. 



Only a few months before his death Mr. Meek finished what 

 sidered to be the most important of work his life, namely : 

 brate Creta 



A Report on the Invertebrate Cretaceous and Tert 



the Upper Missouri Country. This work constitutes volume 



IX of the quarto series, of the U. S. Geological Survey of the 



Territories, and contains more than 600 pages of text, and 45 



plates. 



Of the character of Mr. Meek- s< ntirh la I rs it is only 

 necessary to speak briefly. Thoroughness, scrupulous exact- 

 ness, and nice powers of discrimination, are manifested in all 

 his labors ; and, with such merits, his works will shed lustre 

 upon his name as long as paleontology shall be studied. No 

 one in America has done more than he, to systematize and 

 advance the science to which he devoted his life. 



His personal character cannot be too highly eulogized, for it 

 was without a blemish. He was a genial, sincere, pure-minded, 

 honorable man. Gentleness and candor were apparent in every 

 expression of his face, and in every word he uttered ; but he was 

 mes to stand up and defend what 

 he believed to be right; and with his keen sense of justice, he 

 was seldom mistaken as to what was right, He was never in 

 vigorous health and often ill; but never a 

 hopeful, alwavs cheerful, always at the work he loved so well, 

 always helpful of others. His !1 m earl y 



manhood, and the afllic il ne became entirely 



deaf, -v, ral vears before he died. Even when cut off from 

 * ' iver>;.ti,.i v th his fellow men his cheerful ; 

 m m ; but he seemed to derive great pleasure from written com- 

 munication with his friends. He was never married, and leaves 

 no neat itives: but 1 it, - brought in 



contact will remember him with pleasure, while to those who 

 were permitted to enjoy scientific intercourse or correspondence 

 with him during his life, his memory will be especially dear. 



