OTHNIEL CHARLES MARSH 



PALEONTOLOGIST 



1831-1899 

 BY GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL 



IN the scientific world, the name of Marsh stands forth as that 

 of a man of strong personality, of keen powers of observation, and 

 of high attainments. He brought to the service of science great 

 enthusiasm and zeal, and his learning placed him in the front 

 rank of American anatomists and paleontologists. Like Baird, 

 he was an explorer and collector, taking immense pleasure in his 

 expeditions, in the vast collections of vertebrate fossils thus ac- 

 quired, and in the elaboration of this rich material. His early 

 success came through perseverance, concentration of effort, and 

 hard and continuous labor. While others may reap greater fame 

 in his chosen field, he was one of the illustrious trio who blazed 

 the path to the broader domain, and it is in large measure due to 

 his work as an enthusiastic pioneer that vertebrate paleontology 

 has assumed its present importance in America. When Marsh 

 died, science lost a devoted ally, American paleontology an emi- 

 nent leader, and Yale University a distinguished son. 



From 1636 to 1881, that branch of the Marsh family living 

 within the bounds of old Salem, Massachusetts, had occupied but 

 four places of residence, all in that part of the town afterwards 

 called Danvers, now Peabody, and in the house last built Caleb 

 Marsh, whose son furnishes the subject of this sketch, was born 

 November 8, 1800. In 1827, he married Mary Gaines Peabody, 

 also a native of Danvers, and a descendant of Lieut. Francis 

 Peabody, who established himself in Ipswich in 1635. After his 



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