554 



KEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1904. 



The Middle West, it should be remembered, was at that time an 

 almost unknown territory, traversed by but a single railroad (the 

 Union Pacific), and much of it rendered unsafe for the white man 

 through roving bands of Indians, necessitating military escort in 

 many instances. 



The first expedition explored the Pliocene deposits of Nebraska, the 

 Miocene of northern Colorado, and the Eocene of the Bridge r Basin 

 in Wyoming and the Uinta Basin of Utah. These expeditions wore 

 supported largely at Professor Marsh's private expense, until- the 

 organization in 1879 of the U. S. Geological Survey under Powell, 

 shortly after which Marsh was appointed a United States paleontolo- 

 gist, though still drawing upon his own resources when necessary or 

 when, in his opinion, it became advisable in order that new discoveries 

 might become immediately available. 



Under these joint agencies there was brought together the mass 



of material now forming the vertebrate 

 collections at Yale University and the ex- 

 tensive Marsh collection in the National 

 Museum in Washington, which has formed 

 the basis for the numerous monographs 

 and papers included in Marsh's extensive 

 bibliography. 



The most noted of his early discoveries 

 was that of the toothed birds, Odontor- 

 nithes (Hesperornis and Ichthyornis), which 

 formed the basis of a monograph published 

 in 1880. Based on later discoveries were 

 his monographs on the Dinocerata and the 

 extraordinary dinosauria, of which the 

 Anchisaurus, Brontosaurus, Laosaurus, 

 Ceratosaurus, Camptosaurus, Stegosaurus, Claosaurus, and Triceratops 

 are the best known representatives. 



Marsh's connection with the United States Survey continued up to 

 the time of his death, which took place in March, 1899, and much of 

 his work lay beyond the time limits of this histoiy. 



In 1870 again the legislature of Missouri passed an act for the estab- 

 lishment of a mining bureau, the board of control of which was to be 

 composed of the governor and nine members, one from each Con- 

 gressional district. Upon this board was conferred 

 the power of appointing a State geologist, the choice 

 for which fell upon Albert Hager, of Vermont. 

 Hager's term of service was, however, short, and but one report of 

 progress published, owing to a disagreement with the board. This 

 report dealt largely with the condition of the survey at the time he 

 took charge. It would appear that, since the suspension of Swallow's 



Fig. 87.— Othniel Charles Marsh. 



Hager's Work in 

 Missouri, 1870. 



