350 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Oct. 



point. After the auction at Greenfield, I employed a waggoner 

 to transport my specimens to the railroad. I happened to be a 

 little out of sight, and heard him describing to a citizen standing 

 by the sums I had paid for them. ' The man,' said the citizen, 

 ' who will waste money like that, should have a guardian placed 

 over him.' I could not restrain a loud laugh, which brought us 

 into conversation, when I said, ' You will at least acknowledge 

 that my insane prodigality is a good thing for Mrs. Marsh.' 



" I must acknowledge, however, that in no enterprise in my life 

 have I been obliged to work so hard, and exercise so much strate- 

 gic skill to avoid paying exorbitant prices, and even being defeated, 

 as in the collection of this Ichnological Cabinet. The high prices 

 paid at the auction (one slab sold for $375) produced an impres- 

 sion of the great value of these relics throughout the Yalley, and 

 exorbitant prices were attached to them wherever found. But very 

 few, however, knew enough about the different kinds to distin- 

 guish the rare and valuable ones. But since I had studied them 

 all, I found that wherever I expressed any particular interest in a 

 specimen the presumption was that it was rare, and the price went 

 up accordingly. I was obliged, therefore to exercise a good deal 

 of prudence, and show much sang f void ^ or I could not, with my 

 small means, make much headway. I worked as quietly as pos- 

 sible, with my plans locked up in my own bosom, yet with inflexible 

 resolution and perseverance, looking constantly to God for help. 

 I felt that such a collection would illustrate a curious chapter of 

 His providence towards our globe, and that the larger the collec- 

 tion, the more full the illustration. I expected myself to make 

 only a beginning ; but I wanted to provide the means for my suc- 

 cessors to carry forward the work which they never could do if the 

 specimens are scattered all over the world, or rather if all the 

 varieties are not found in some one cabinet. Large as the collec- 

 tion now is, I have been often pained to see very fine specimens 

 taken out of my hands by those who could pay more for them than 

 I could, and carried, I know not whither. 



" In such circumstances, I have tried to be as economical as pos- 

 sible in the use of the money in my hands for this purpose. When- 

 ever I could. I have myself gone to the quarries and dug out the 

 specimens. When not too large, also, I have transported them on 

 my own business-waggon. Again and again have I entered 

 Amherst upon such a load ; generally, however, preferring not to 

 arrive till evening j because, especially of late, such manual labor 



