laboratory and workshop rather than an institution for ex- 

 hibition. The study and classification of this material yielded 

 extremely valuable results and formed the basis for the pub- 

 lication of eight volumes of geological reports. These re- 

 ports embodied practically all that was known of the geology 

 of the State of Illinois at that time, contributed in an im- 

 portant manner to geology in general, and extended the rep- 

 utation of the survey throughout this country and Europe. 



After Worthen's death, his successor. Dr. Lindahl, while 

 preparing an exhibition for the World's Columbian Ex- 

 position, extended the work of the museum so that it em- 

 braced somewhat more general geological lines. Some of 

 Lindahl's energy was directed toward editing the last 

 Worthen reports, and more toward overhauling and re-classi- 

 fying the museum material which during the last years of 

 Worthen's incumbency, much against his wish and during his 

 absence from the city, were moved from one floor to another 

 in the State House and thrown into endless confusion. 



During Mr. Gurley's curatorship the work along paleonto- 

 logical lines was continued and eight bulletins on paleontology 

 were published in collaboration with S. A. Miller, of Cincinnati. 



During Mr. Crantz's incumbency the work was in the line 

 of exhibition of material rather than in collection or investi- 

 gation. The chief additions made to the museum were a 

 collection of birds' eggs. 



Some zoological and botanical material had come to the 

 museum as early as in 1871, when upon the disbanding of the 

 State Natural History Society a portion of its collections were 

 given to the museum. From time to time the State Labora- 

 tory of Natural History, under Prof. Forbes, has added to the 

 zoological collections of the State Museum. But taken as a 

 whole the museum has been geological in character, and all 

 of its contributions to science have been in the field of 

 geology. 



Such has been the history of the institution. What of its 

 present and future? In what direction lies its greatest prom- 

 ise of useful service? In considering this question one should 



