SKETCH OF PROFESSOR 0. C. MARSH. 613 



the first remains of reptiles found in the Palaeozoic rocks of America. 

 His studies in archaeology also began in college. 



To many readers, Prof. Marsh is best known in connection with his 

 explorations in the Rocky Mountains, which he has crossed no less than 

 eleven times on his various expeditions. His first visit to that country 

 was a short excursion in 1868, which produced results of no little in- 

 terest. From an alkaline lake in Wyoming he then obtained live speci- 

 mens of larval Siredons, the remarkable change in which, occurring, 

 under his own eye, after his return, called forth the paper " On the 

 Metamorphosis of Siredon into Arribly stoma." On this trip, too, a num- 

 ber of interesting Tertiary fossils were obtained from a well at Ante- 

 lope Station, Nebraska, in the bed of an ancient lake, and at several 

 other localities. The discoveries thus made indicated to Prof. Marsh 

 the importance of this previously-unknown field, and he made prepara- 

 tions to undertake its systematic exploration. During the years imme- 

 diately following his return from Europe, he had studied with much 

 care the Cretaceous and Tertiary fauna of New Jersey ; but it now be- 

 came apparent to him that the fossil resources of these deposits were 

 of much less importance than those of the West. In June, 1870, the 

 first of the Yale Scientific Expeditions was organized and took the 

 field, returning after an absence of five months, richly laden with fossil 

 treasures. Over one hundred species of extinct vertebrates, new to 

 science, were discovered on this trip. Most of these were from two 

 Tertiary lake-basins before unknown. During the four years which 

 followed, Prof. Marsh led other expeditions, which were scarcely less 

 successful than the first, and the vertebrate fossils thus collected soon 

 came to be reckoned by tons, instead of by hundreds or thousands of 

 specimens. These various expeditions were attended with much danger 

 and hardship, as the regions explored were often infested with hostile 

 Indians, and explorations could be carried on only under the protection 

 of a strong escort of Government troops. Prof. Marsh's early experi- 

 ence as a sportsman was also of great advantage, as the fact that he 

 was the quickest and best shot in the expedition was soon acknowl- 

 edged, and commanded respect from the soldiers and rough mountain- 

 eers who accompanied him. The expenditure of time which the leader- 

 ship of these expeditions involved was, however, so great, that recently 

 parties of trained collectors have been sent out, who pack the fossils on 

 the ground and ship them to the Peabody Museum of Yale College, 

 where they are examined by Prof. Marsh and his assistants. The ex- 

 penses incurred in these various explorations have been great, and 

 were mainly borne by Prof. Marsh, who has already contributed more 

 than $100,000 to this work. 



Among the most interesting of Prof. Marsh's recent discoveries are, 

 a new mammal (Dryolestes) ; a new order of Reptilia (Stegosauria), 

 and many new and gigantic Dinosaurs, all from the Jurassic of the 

 Rocky Mountains, and the first found in this formation in this country. 



