REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY 

 FOR THE YEAR 1897-98. 



By George P. Merrill, 

 Head Curator. 



The past year has been oue of great, if not unparalleled, progress in 

 the department. This for the reason that under the reorganization 

 which was eilf'ected early iii the year, proper coordination of the various 

 divisions was for the lirst time rendered j)ossible. 



Owing to the suspension of work of all kinds in the exhibition halls 

 during the construction of the new galleries and exhibition cases, 

 together with the prolonged absence of the head curator in Europe, it 

 is true, however, that but little of this progress is as yet evident to the 

 public. 



Since actively assuming charge of the department, early in ]S"ovem- 

 ber, the head curator has devoted much time to going over the written 

 and j)rinted records of the various United States exploring expeditious 

 and surveys with a view to ascertaining what geological materials had 

 been collected which could be properly considered the propert}'^ of the 

 Government, and what disposition had been made of the same. This 

 has resulted in bringing together some of the scattered materials 

 which had been loaned in years past for study purposes, or which had 

 never been turned over to the custody of the Museum. Moreover, so 

 soon as it became apparent that the department was ready and more 

 than willing to take charge of the materials, Prof. O. C. Marsh 

 announced his readiness to turn over the large series of vertebrate 

 fossils collected under his direction during his connection with the 

 U. S. Geological Survey under J, W. Powell. Mr. Lucas, the acting 

 assistant curator of the Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, spent 

 four weeks, with proper assistance, at New Haven in May and June of 

 this year, with the result that two carloads of these fossils, comprising 

 many specimens of Triccratops, besides Dinoceras, Ulotheriuw, and 

 other Miocene forms, have already been received. 



Arrangements have been made, through the administrator of the 

 estate of the late E. D. Cope, for the return to the Museum of the 

 extensive series of Eocene fishes, collected principally during the years 

 1872-73 in Utah and Wyoming, and retained by Professor Cope for 

 study. It is confidently expected that these will roach the Museum 

 even before this rei^ort appears in print. 



In addition to the collection of vertebrate fossils already noted, the 

 division has obtained, through purchase, a valuable collection of Mosa- 



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