| 26 The Ee Lai erican Geologist. February, 1892 
dent of the Geological Society of America. His letter-book for 
1890 contains 487 copied letters. His published manuscript 
amounts for 1890,to 295 octavo pages,and that which remains un- 
published is estimated at about 100 pages more. 
1891. This year was begun with the same restless activity and 
far-reaching plans, but he soon found himself incapacitated. His 
sickness was brief, and he died, as already detailed, on February 
19, 1891, when he was but little past 66 years of age. 
IIL HIS SCLENTIFIC WORK, 
The most of Alexander Winchell’s work was scientific, but as 
he followed his researches in their remote ramifications he found 
himself articulating with other fields, and making the acquaint- 
ance of scholars who did not consider themselves scientists. All 
his processes and conclusions, however, were characterized by 
strict adherance to scientific evidence and methods. He differed 
from most scientists in that he did not hesitate to follow any line 
of investigation, although it was but secondary to his main pur- 
pose. Thus he was equally at home in most of the ‘natural 
sciences” and in mathematics, astronomy, philosophy and 
ethnology. © Whenever his many-sided genius inspired him to 
enter upon a course of systematic study, his fertile pen, with a 
ready command of apt expression, recorded his observations and 
his thoughts, and this constituted much of his scientific work. 
He sometimes lamented that he was so ‘fatally balanced” that his 
energies, instead of being turned unitedly to one object were per- 
petually distracted by the prosecution of all in succession. — His 
achievements, however,in almost any one of the sciences in which 
he labored, would constitute an honorable record, and when they 
are considered in their aggregate they mount up to a sum total 
which it seems almost impossible for one human life to com- 
pass. ; 
It is not possible, nor perhaps would it be appropriate and 
profitable, here to enter upon an analysis of the scientific publi- 
cations of Alexander Winchell, nor even to attempt to point out 
those facts and ideas which he added to the sum of human 
knowledge. The discriminating student. of the future, will be 
able, from the following list, to identify his publications, and to 
aseribe to each sueh value as it may deserve. 
