506 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1904. 



and civil engineering in the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and 

 entered upon his duties in January, 1854. 



In 1859 he was commissioned by Governor Moses Wisner, of Mich- 

 igan, as State geologist, as above noted, holding the position for two 

 years, when the survey was abolished through failure on the part of 

 the legislature to make proper provisions for its continuance. He 

 issued while holding this office one Report of Progress, an octavo vol- 

 ume of 339 pages, published in August, 1861. In 1869 the survey was 

 reorganized and Winchell again appointed director, he assuming for 

 himself the personal investigation of the lower peninsula. His report, 

 a small octavo volume of 64 pages, appeared in 1871, the previous 

 report on the Grand Traverse region, a work of 97 octavo pages, hav- 

 ing appeared in 1866. 



Owing to hostility over the management of the survey, which had 

 been aroused in the legislature by personal enemies of Winchell. it 

 appeared likely that the appropriations for carrying on the survey 

 would fail. Hence he resigned the position in 1871. 



In 1873 Winchell resigned also his professorship at the University 

 of Michigan, accepting the position of chancellor of Syracuse Univer- 

 sity, which he held, however, only until June, 1875. In this latter 

 year he was offered the professorship of geology, zoology, and botany 

 in Vanderbilt University, at Nashville, Tennessee, but did not see fit 

 to accept, although he did subsequently till a three months' engage- 

 ment there. In May, 1878, he took tinal leave of the university, and the 

 chair was abolished, owing to some foolish differences of opinion that 

 had arisen between himself and Bishop McTyeire, who took exception 

 to Winchell's stand in reference to pre- Adamites and evolution. 



In June, 1879, Winchell was again called to Ann Arbor, being 

 offered the chair of geolog} 7 and paleontology in the State University. 

 This position he accepted and continued to hold until the time of his 

 death. In March, 1887, he was offered the position of State geologist 

 of Arkansas, but refused. 



Winchell's work as a geologist, as may be readily imagined from 

 this sketch, was of a more or less fragmentary nature, and it is as a 

 teacher, public lecturer, and writer on scientific subjects that he is 

 best known. The advanced stand which he took regarding evolution 

 brought him in conflict with the religious element, particularly at 

 Vanderbilt University, as already referred to. 



Winchell was for a time connected with the Minnesota geological 

 survey. He was one of the original promoters of the American 

 Geologist and the Geological Society of America. As stated by his 

 biographer: 



His largest educational field, however, was the public platform. Here he was 

 under no constraint by reason of youthful auditors. No limits were set to his rhap- 

 sodic scientific eloquence; no courteous regard for the amenities of possible profes- 



