Personal and Scientific News. 
123 
Mr. Robert T. Hill, of the United States Geological Sur¬ 
vey, sailed on the 18th of January upon the third of a series of 
geological reconnaissances of the tropical American region, 
which he is undertaking under the auspices of Prof. Alexander 
Agassiz. He will visit many points of geologic interest con¬ 
cerning which knowledge is much needed. The plan of these 
researches is to acquire accurate detailed knowledge of typi¬ 
cal regions in order that the whole of the complicated history 
may be ultimately interpreted. Mr. Hill’s report upon the 
geology of the Isthmus of Panama and adjacent regions of 
Costa Rica, embodying the results of last winter’s investiga¬ 
tions, is nearly completed, and will deal minutely and tho¬ 
roughly with the complicated and interesting geology of that 
region. 
Cape Region of Baja California. Recently Mr. Gustav 
Eisen has presented a paper on “Explorations in the Cape Re¬ 
gion of Baja California” (Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., sec. ser., vol. 
5, pt. 1, pp. 733-755, pis. 72-75, 1895), which contains one 
page on the geological features of the southern end of Lower 
California and a geological map of that district compiled by 
Mr. Eisen and F. H. Vaslit. The map shows the main por¬ 
tion of the region to be covered with rocks of volcanic origin, 
while in the highest parts are granitic rocks, and a small area 
of limestone occurs on the coast at the southeastern extremity 
of the cape. Mr. Eisen speaks of abundant signs of glacial 
action in the interior of the cape and of “enormous moraines, 
which all run more or less parallel from west to east.” Sev¬ 
eral raised sea beaches, containing the remains of living spe¬ 
cies of shells were seen. 
Dr. Ernst von Rebeur-Paschwitz. 
Born Aug. 9, 1861. Died Oct. 1. 1895. 
Dr. Ernst von Rebeur-Paschwitz was born on August 9th, 
1861, at Frankfurt a. Oder. In consequence of his father’s 
movements as a government officer, Von Rebeur’s school was 
often changed, but wherever he went his knowledge of math¬ 
ematics made him in these studies facile princeps. He ob¬ 
tained his doctorate at Berlin, where he became an assistant 
at the observatory. At Karlsruhe, where he was “Erster As¬ 
sistant,” he commenced, in 1884, to interest himself in Zollner’s 
pendulum. It was about this time that his health first caused 
anxiety to his friends. Although he visited Switzerland, 
Italy, Tenerilfe and other places, returning to his home in ap¬ 
parently good health, it was soon recognized that his recov¬ 
eries were only temporary. At Halle, where he was Privat 
Docent, the condition of his throat and chest precluded him 
from giving lectures. From 1891 until his death, on October 
1st, 1895, he was more or less confined to a bed or sofa, often 
suffering excruciating pain, and never left his room except 
during the summer. 
