GEINITZ

geinitz, hans bruno (1814-1900), german geologist, was born at altenburg, the capital of the duchy of saxe-altenburg, on the 16th of october 1814. he was educated at the universities of berlin and jena, and gained the foundations of his geological knowledge under f.a. quenstedt. in 1837 he took the degree of ph.d. with a thesis on the muschelkalk of thuringia. in 1850 he became professor of geology and mineralogy in the royal polytechnic school at dresden, and in 1857 he was made director of the royal mineralogical and geological museum; he held these posts until 1894. he was distinguished for his researches on the carboniferous and cretaceous rocks and fossils of saxony, and in particular for those relating to the fauna and flora of the permian or dyas formation. he described also the graptolites of the local silurian strata; and the flora of the coal-formation of altai and nebraska. from 1863 to 1878 he was one of the editors of the _neues jahrbuch_. he was awarded the murchison medal by the geological society of london in 1878. he died at dresden on the 28th of january 1900. his son franz eugene geinitz (b. 1854), professor of geology in the university of rostock, became distinguished for researches on the geology of saxony, mecklenburg, &c. h.b. geinitz's publications were _das quadersandsteingebirge oder kreidegebirge in deutschland_ (1849-1850); _die versteinerungen der steinkohlenformation in sachsen_ (1855); _dyas, oder die zechsteinformation und das rothliegende_ (1861-1862); _das elbthalgebirge in sachsen_ (1871-1875). geisha (a chino-japanese word meaning "person of pleasing accomplishments"), strictly the name of the professional dancing and singing girls of japan. the word is, however, often loosely used for the girls and women inhabiting shin yoshiwara, the prostitutes' quarter of tokyo. the training of the true geisha or singing girl, which includes lessons in dancing, begins often as early as her seventh year. her apprenticeship over, she contracts with her employer for a number of years, and is seldom able to reach independence except by marriage. there is a capitation fee of two _yen_ per month on the actual singing girls, and of one _yen_ on the apprentices. see jukichi inouye, _sketches of tokyo life_.