GEOLOGY IN NATIONAL MUSEUM MERRILL. 271 



the group and its variation in structure. A similar method is fol- 

 lowed for all the different groups of plants, and in many cases where 

 there are recent representatives of the same group, such examples are 

 introduced for comparison with the fossil forms. 



The exhibition series of fossil plants just described forms like- 

 wise only a small portion of the National collection. Located on the 

 floors above the exhibition halls, where they are readily available for 

 study, is a reserve series contained in 9,000 standard drawers, 24 by 

 30 inches in dimension. This study collection, undoubtedly the larg- 

 est in the world, contains the types and figured specimens described 

 in practically all of the important monographs upon the subject by 

 the leading American paleobotanists Lesquereux, Newberry, Ward, 

 Hollick, Knowlton, White, and Berry. It is especially rich in Ameri- 

 can Coal Measures plants and includes the great Lacoe collection 

 of over 100,000 specimens. 



SECTION OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY, EAST HALL, FIRST FLOOR. 



Vertebrate paleontology as a distinct section in the organization of 

 the United States National Museum, has a comparatively brief his- 

 tory. Commencing in 1898 with the appointment of Prof. O. C. 

 Marsh of Yale University, New Haven, Conn., as honorary curator, 

 a portion of the collections made by him under the auspices of the 

 U. S. Geological Survey and up to that date retained by him in New 

 Haven, was transferred to the Museum. Prior to this time it ap- 

 pears that the Museum collections consisted of miscellaneous and 

 fragmentary material from various sources, but resulting principally 

 from the early exploring expeditions of the Government in the West. 

 Their scientific value was, however, far beyond that of the usual f rag- 

 mental materials, on account of the considerable number of types in- 

 cluded, the work of the pioneer American paleontologists, Newberry, 

 Leidy, and Cope. 



After the death of Professor Marsh, in 1899, the entire Government 

 portion of the collection was transferred from New Haven to the 

 Museum at Washington. It comprised six carloads of material 

 brought together during the 10 years between 1882 and 1892, more 

 than half of which was still in the original packing boxes as shipped 

 from the field. It is this material known as the "Marsh Collection," 

 that forms a considerable bulk of the present collection of vertebrate 

 fossils in the National Museum. 



Up to 1921, 10,500 specimens have been catalogued and it is estimat- 

 ed that an equal number remain to be catalogued so that in all 

 there are over 20,000 specimens in the collection. While the yearly 

 list of accessions is not large there is a steady and healthy growth 

 and as a whole the collection is gradually assuming a status that is 



