SKETCH OF CHARLES D. WALCOTT. 549 



His paleontological collections included a unique series of Tren- 

 ton limestone fossils, which was sold in 1873 to Prof. Louis Agassiz, 

 and his intercourse with Professor Agassiz at that time was most 

 helpful and stimulating. An arrangement was made for Mr. Wal- 

 cott to go to Cambridge and pursue a course of study under the 

 advice and direction of the great naturalist, but this was frustrated 

 by the death of Agassiz. 



In November, 1876, he received his first official appointment, 

 becoming assistant to Prof. James Hall, State Geologist of New 

 York. While holding that position researches were made in New 

 York, Ohio, Indiana, and Canada. In July, 1879, Mr. Walcott 

 was appointed field assistant in the United States Geological Survey, 

 then under the direction of Clarence King, and was assigned to the 

 study of the great geological section extending from the high pla- 

 teaus of southern Utah to the bottom of the Grand Canon of the 

 Colorado. In 1882 he collaborated with Mr. Hague in the survey 

 of the Eureka mining district of Nevada. The Palaeozoic paleon- 

 tology of the survey was now assigned to him, and, though this en- 

 tailed considerable routine work in the identification of fossils 

 brought from many fields by the various geologists, he was enabled 

 to pursue with vigor his cherished plans for the investigation of the 

 older faunas. He examined the Cambrian formations of the Ap- 

 palachian belt all the way from Alabama to Quebec, and carried his 

 researches on a more easterly line through New England and New 

 Brunswick to Newfoundland. He also began a series of western 

 studies which eventually included the most important known bodies 

 of Cambrian rocks in Texas, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, 

 Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. In 1888 he was advanced 

 to be paleontologist in charge of invertebrate paleontology in the 

 Geological Survey; in 1891, to be chief paleontologist; and in 

 1893, to be geologist in charge of geology and paleontology, in which 

 capacity he had charge of the general direction of that branch of the 

 work of the survey. In July, 1894, Major J. W. Powell, after four- 

 teen years' service as director of the survey, retired from that office, 

 and Mr. Walcott was selected by President Cleveland to succeed him. 



Mr. Walcott's service to science falls under two heads — research 

 and administration. The scientific study which results in positive 

 additions to the world's knowledge has a somewhat definite course, 

 beginning with the observation of phenomena, proceeding with their 

 arrangement in classes, and concluding with hypothesis and theory 

 as to their natural sequence or genesis. Classification and hy- 

 pothesis afford new points of view which lead to additional observa- 

 tions, so that the various steps of the process are to a certain extent 

 alternated; but the most successful researches, those whose results 



