Correspondence. 335 
isolating a small portion of its oxide. Owing to certain stringent rules 
of the German oflicial scientific research offices whereby all the dis- 
coveries of a subordinate inure to his superior, Frenzel sent the present 
writer several grams of this isolated new element and the latter offered 
it at a meeting of the Chemical Section of the A- A. A, S. in Phila., 
1884. asking that a committee be named by the president of the section 
to investigate the material and report on its elementary character. The 
offer was not accepted and the material was returned to its discoverer. 
In 1886 science was startled by the announcement that Prof. Winkler 
of the Freiberg Mining Academy had accomplished for Germany what 
de Boisbaudran eleven years before had effected for France, the dis- 
covery of a new element ; and following the example of his French col- 
league, he named it after his country — "Germanium'" as the former 
had bestoweil tlie name of "Gallium" on his newly found simple body. 
Whetlier or not this was the material found by Frenzel and communi- 
cated to me under so many safeguards, I do not know, but the co- 
incidence is a curious one. 
In spite of the handicap of his straitened circumstances Frenzel had 
already secured a valuable collection of minerals by purchase, ex- 
change, and exploration before the end of 1870. This was increased and 
finally sold for quite a large sum, when another collection was begun 
and at last also disposed of. With his professional duties and cares and 
the correspondence and labor incident to the prosecution of his studies 
in his beloved mineralogy, one would have thought his days sufficiently 
full ; but quite unexpectedly he developed a taste for zoology in the de- 
partment of ornithology, and more specially in the order of Psittaci 
(paroquets), and contributed several interesting papers beautifully il- 
lustrated with colored plates of love birds, to the zoological journals of 
Germany. 
While Prof- Credner was chief geologist of the geological survey of 
Saxony, Frenzel issued his mineralogical dictionary of Saxony. 
His name will be found here and there in Dana's and other standard 
mineralogies but not to the extent that is due his profound knowledge of 
structural, determinative, and chemical mineralogy, and had he been 
able to devote his time to these branches he would have probably become 
pre-eminent in them. 
He had a gentle, affectionate disposition and a high sense of honor. 
For many years he made me the confidant of his most secret trials, and 
aspirations; and called upon me to share his joy at his triumphs. I have 
now a small silver medal which he won as a prize at the Bergschule. 
It is about as large as an old Saxon thaler and has engraved upon it 
simply "Dem Fleisse." This he insisted upon giving me when I had 
exceeded his anticipations in mastering the difficulties in crystallography 
in which he was instructing me. It is the conscientious, thorough, high 
toned, industrious men of his type which have made his Fatherland 
great in science. 
Mhy we in this country have many like him. 
PERSIFER FKASER. 
