(Born: Bonn, Germany, 20 May 1838; Died: Bonn, Germany, 11 June 1912) German mineralogist, petrographer & geologist.

Zirkel was educated in his native town, and graduated Ph.D. at the university in 1861. In early years he was engaged in teaching geology and mineralogy in Vienna. He became professor of geology in 1863 at the University of Lemberg, in 1868 at Kiel, and in 1870 professor of mineralogy and geology in the University of Leipzig.

Biographical references: American Journal of Science: 4th Series, 184 (1912), 228. • Barr, Index to Biographical Fragments, 1973: 289. • Ber.Verh.sächs.Akad.Ges.Wiss., Leipzig, Germany, Math.-Phys.Kl.: : 64 (1912), 499-508. • DBA: I 1416, 381-382; II 1450, 87-100. • Der Geologie: 12 (1914), 7 p. • DSB: 14, 625 [by G.C. Amstutz]. • Freund & Berg, Geschichte der Mikroskopie, 1966. • Math. Naturw. Blätter: 9 (1912), no. 10, 145-6. • Nature: 76 (1907), 605. • Poggendorff: 3, 1487, 4, 1693 & 5, 1412. • Proceedings of the Geological Society, London: (1912-3), lv-lvii. • Quarterly Journal of Geological Society of London: 69 (1913), ??. • Sarjeant, Geologists, 1980: 3, 2489-90. • Science: 36 (1912), 48. • WBI. • World Who's Who in Science: 1847. • Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft, Monatsberichte: Jg. 1912, no. 7, 354-63, portrait. • Zeitschrift prakt. Geol.: Jg. 1912, 383. • Zentralblatt für Mineralogie: Jg. 1912, 513-22, portrait.

1. German, 1873.
Die | Mikroskopische Beschaffenheit | Der | Mineralien und Gesteine. | Von | D^r. Ferdinand Zirkel, | Ö. Professor Der Mineralogie Und Geognosie An Der Universität Leipzig. | Mit 205 Holzschnitten. | [tapered rule] | Leipzig, | Verlag Von W. Engelmann | 1873.

8°: [i]-viii, [1]-502, 2] p., illus. Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents: [i-ii], Half title page, "Die | Mikroskopische Beschaffenheit | der | Mineralien und Gesteine," verso blank.; [iii-iv], Title page, verso "Das Recht ..."; [v]-vi, "Vorrede."-signe F. Zirkel, July 1873.; [vii]-viii, "Inhaltsverzeichniss."; [1]-496, Text.; [497]-502, "Register."; [1 pg], "Nachtrag."; [1 pg], Blank.

Very scarce. "The year 1873 was signalized by the almost simultaneous appearance of two works, in which the two most distinguished masters in the domain of microscopically research comprised the quintessence of their investigations. Under the title, Die mikroskopische Beschaffenheit der Mitieralien und Felsarten (Leipzig, 1873), Zirkel gives an introductory code of instructions as to the use of the microscope, examination by means of polarized light, and the methods of producing faithful illustrations. He then describes the microscopically structure of rock-forming minerals with special respect to the various kinds of inclusions and the products of decomposition. The optical and physical characteristics of mineral sections are next described; and the results obtained in the earlier chapters on minerals are applied in the latter half of the work, which is devoted to the mineral constitution and structural features of rock-varieties. The work is fully illustrated by woodcuts."-Zittel. The other book appeared under the authorship of Rosenbusch [q.v.].

Bibliographical references: Zittel, History of Geology, 1901: p. 330-331.

Elemente der Mineralogie. Zehnte neubearbeitet Auflage. Von ... Ferdinand Zirkel. (Leipzig, 1877 and other editions).
See under: Naumann, Georg Amadeus Carl Friedrich.

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