John Bell Hatcber—Schuchert. 135 
struggling against difficulties to secure an education; in 
the quietest and most unostentatious way he was contin- 
ually devising effective means to help such students to 
help themselves and thus enabled them to continue their 
studies without any impairment of their self-respect. 
"The most important work which Hatcher undertook 
during his connection with Princeton was his exploration 
of Patagonia in the years 1896 to 1899. The plan was all 
his own and was not proposed to the geological depart- 
ment until everything was nearly ripe for action ; he se- 
cured the greater part of the necessary funds and, with 
characteristic generosity, was himself a liberal contributor. 
How successful this great undertaking was is very gener- 
ally known. * * * 
"The principal object of the expeditions was to gather 
the most extensive possible series of the fossil mammals 
for which Patagonia has been so famous since the days of 
Darwin's 'Voyage of the Beagle,' and next to determine 
the stratigraphical succession of the beds in which these 
fossils occur. This involved extensive explorations of 
regions where no white man had ever been before and 
brought to light much geographical information. At the 
same time, the plants and recent animals were collected, so 
far as it was possible to do so without sacrificing the prin- 
cipal end in view, and in these departments also an unex- 
pected measure of success was attained, and a represen- 
tative series illustrating the botany, zoology and paleon- 
tology of Patagonia was secured. 
"Hatcher then conceived the plan of publishing to- 
gether in one uniform series of reports, by the hands of 
different specialists, all these results, which would other- 
wise necessarily appear in separate form, scattered 
throughout the various technical journals. This plan was 
submitted to Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan, and to his li1)erality 
it is due that this cherished scheme is now in process of 
realization and in a manner surpassing the hopes of its 
original proposer. * * * ^xe [Hatcher] has raised for 
himself an enduring monument in these volumes, which 
owe their existence to him, however much or little may be 
his verbal contribution to their contents." 
