i6 



His successor, \\'illiam F. E. Gurley, was appointed in July, 1893. 

 jNIr. Gurlev was born in Oswego, New York, June 5, 1854. His par- 

 ents came to Danville, III, in '65, and since that time he has considered 

 that place his home. He was a student at Cornell University, and 

 later became a prospector in Colorado, and for five years was city 

 engineer at Danville.- 



He early acquired a taste for geology and began to make a palseon- 

 tological collection and library. 



As to his tastes and his work while connected with the museum, 

 Mr. Gurle}' says: 



"From the moment I first became interested in the subject of geology, I set 

 to worli; accumulating a palaeontologLcal collection and library and it was 

 my ambition to place myself in a position financially where I could 'settle 

 down' and devote myself entirely to this subject. 



When a child of six years, I was rendered totally blind through sickness 

 and, after a period of several months partly recovered my sight. I never fully 

 recovered and during my entire life have been subjected to much inconven- 

 ience from this source. 



For the most part my palasontological work was done in collaboration with 

 Samuel A. Miller of Cincinnati, Ohio, and may be found in the various 

 'bulletins' issued when I was curator. 



During the last year I was curator, my eyes failed materially to such an 

 extent that it became impossible for me to read common newspaper 'print' 

 without the aid of a magnifying glass which was extremely tedious and very 

 unsatisfactory. In due course of time I became convinced that the failure of 

 my sight was permanent and I was forced to lay aside all ambitions of a 

 scientific nature — it being impossible for me to attempt anything of a 

 'technical' sort." 



Mr. Gurley is a charter member of the Geological Society of Amer- 

 ica and a fellow of a number of scientific societies at home and abroad. 

 At present he is curator of palaeontology in the University of Chicago. 



The bulletins referred to in his letter are Bulletins 3-12 of the 

 Museum of Natural History. They deal with the same line of work 

 that claimed the chief attention of Norwood and Worthen and show 

 that in spite of the demand for "purely practical" work made by the 

 Legislature, work chiefly of scientific nature was produced. 



For list of bulletins see below.* 



Mr. Gurley published no Museum reports. 



During his incumbency, much against his wishes, the museum made 

 its customary move, this time from the first to the third floor of the 

 State House. 



It may have been from the point of view of the protection of the 

 specimens wise and desirable to donate to the University of Illinois 

 the materials brought together by Curator Lindahl for the World's 

 Fair. But from the point of view of the museum it was detrimental. 

 The transfer from the first to the third floor was a step backward, as 



♦ Bulletins of Illinois State Museum of Natural Histor.y, by S. A. Miller and Wm. 

 F. E. Gurle.v : 



189.3. Bulletin No. 3. New species of Invertebrates from the Palaeozoic. 

 18ti4. Bulletin No. 4. Npw species of Upper Devonian and Niagara Crinoids. 



1894. Bulletin No. 5. New genera — Species of Eehinodermata. 



1895. Bulletin No. 6. New species of Palaeozoic Eehinodermata. 



1895. Bulletin No. 7. New Species of Palaeozoic Fossils. 



1896. Bulletin No. 8. New Species Fossils from the Palaeozoic. 

 1896. Bulletin No. 9. New Species of Crinoids. 



I.'ion. Bulletin No. 10. New Species of Eehinodermata and New Crustacean. 



1896. Bulletin No. 11. New Species of Palaeozoic Invertebrates. 



1897. Bulletin No. 12. New Species of Crinoids, Cephalopods and other Palafeo- 

 zoic Fossils. 



