PALEOXTOLOGIC WORK IX F.UROPE 



Bv R. S. BASSLER, 

 Head Curator of (li'dlo/zy. ('. S. A'atioiia! Museum 



The outstanding accession to the division of stratigraphic paleon- 

 tology in 1927 consisted of the Frank Springer collection of fossil 

 echinoderms with his very complete li1)rary upon the snliject and 

 funds for the upkeep of hoth, which. ])y (\i;e(\ of gift, came to the 

 Institution soon after Doctor Si)ringer's death in Septemher of that 

 year. Doctor Springer's official connection with the .Smithsonian 

 Institution began in 191 1 when he transferred his collection and li- 

 brary from his private museum in Burlington. Iowa, to Washington, 

 and installed them in the X^ational Museum where a room in the new 

 building had been assigned him. He spent the winter and spring 

 months of each vear at Washington engaged in his scientific work, 

 and the remainder of the time at Santa Fe. New ]\Iexico, in business 

 pursuits. Many of his scientific papers were published in the Proceed- 

 ings of the N'ational Museum, while his well-known quarto mono- 

 graphs, the Criiioidca F I c.ribilia and American Silurian Criiioids were 

 issued by the Smithsonian Institution. His position on the scientific 

 stafif of the Museum was recognizerl liy the honorary title of Associate 

 in Paleontology 



I had the pleasure of Doctor Springer's friendship for more than 

 25 years and was closely associated with him in scientific work from 

 the summer of 191 1. when he and I, assisted by Kenneth Chapman, his 

 artist and now director of the Santa Fe Museum, packed the delicate 

 specimens comprising his collection, which filled an entire express 

 car, and saw them started safely from Burlington. Iowa, on their way 

 to Washington. 



The Springer collection, now comprising upward of 100.000 speci- 

 mens, several thousand of which are tyi)es descrilied in his publications, 

 is undoubtedly the most complete assemblage of fossil echinoderms 

 in the world. Doctor Springer never missed an opportunity to pur- 

 chase good echinoderms. to employ collectors to obtain them, or to 

 otherwise increase the collection. As some of his early purchases were 

 unfortunately not labeled with the acctn'acy of detail as to geological 

 horizon now demanded, he was always interested in remedying this 

 defect by researches of all kinds. Business afifairs prevented him 

 from personally doing much field-work, but on various occasions he 



