632 ANNUAL EEPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 3 



with a view to ascertaining the final disposition of their collections. 

 Having this information, he began lecturing to his students at Colum- 

 bian (now George Washington) University about these surveys and 

 the older generation of geologists. This led him to devote " odd 

 moments " in his official life to the study of the rise and progress of 

 American geology, with the result that he became the historian of 

 our science previous to the present century. He wrote memorials of 

 James D. Dana, John W. Powell, Joseph P. Iddings, George F. 

 Becker, George W. Hawes, Carl L. Rominger, Edward T. Cox, and 

 W. S. Yeates; and brief sketches of 19G American geologists were 

 combined to form his Contributions to the History of American 

 Geology (1906e), which was the first book of its kind. In addition,, 

 he prepared many shorter sketches for the Dictionary of American 

 Biography, now in process of publication. 



From the " Contributions " we learn that the pioneers of Amer- 

 ican geology " had received little or no preliminary training along 

 these special lines, and had access to but few books. The informa- 

 tion with which the geologist of to-day begins his career did not 

 then exist, and an effort has here been made to show by what years of 

 toil each new fact has been unearthed, cleansed of the debris which 

 obscured its outlines, and treasured up in such form that it is now 

 possible for the student, in a few short years, to encompass the gar- 

 nerings of a century. Nor must it be thought that in touching upon 

 sundry disputes, quarrels, and petty jealousies it has been done with 

 an idea of belittling the individual in any way. Indeed, a truly 

 able man is not belittled by his weaknesses. To appreciate his 

 strengih we need to know his weakness. These were but men, and 

 we, who are weakly human, like to recognize in them human traits — 

 like to learn of their errors in judgment and wordy warfares." 

 (191-192.) 



In 1924, the Yale University Press brought out this book, very 

 largely rewritten, under the title " The First One Hundred Years 

 of American Geology." Schuchert in reviewing it said : 



It is a history of tlie growth of geology in America in all of its physical 

 aspects. Beginning with 1785, it goes on to the closing years of the past 

 century — a review of the gradual development of the science in this country 

 through 100 years. ... It is an impressive volume. 



" Early American geology," Merrill says, " was preeminently a 

 science of observation and deduction. Information on which to base 

 theory and hypothesis was not available — indeed, did not exist. 

 With the accumulation of recorded observations it became possible 

 to carry conclusions beyond the point of mere observation, and the 

 inductive method was evolved. Well toward the close of the pe- 

 riod . . . synthetic methods of research were introduced by which the 



