BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 37 



Botany. Cryptogams, 30o±; Phanerogams, io,ooo±; Speci- 

 mens of wood, alcoholic specimens of fungi, and miscellaneous botani- 

 cal specimens, i5oo±. 



Geology. Minerals, on exhibition, 7ooo±, in storage, io,ooo±; 

 Rocks, on exhibition, iooo±, in storage, iooo±. There is a collec- 

 tion of dynamic geology, illustrating systematically the work of atmos- 

 pheric, aqueous, organic, and igneous agencies. The minerals are rich 

 in material from Middletown, Portland, and Haddam. 



Numismatics. 7ooo± coins and medals. Among these are 2ooo± 

 Chinese coins, many of which are ancient and rare, presented by 

 Rev. M. L. Taft; a collection of historical medals and facsimilies of 

 Greek and Roman coins (with some originals), numbering iooo± 

 specimens, presented by Stephen H. Olin. 



Paleontology. Invertebrates, on exhibition, io,ooo±, in 

 storage, 4ooo±; Vertebrates, on exhibition, 2ooo±; Plants, on exhibi- 

 tion, 2ooc±, in storage, 5oo±. These collections include a fine repre- 

 sentation of fishes from the triassic shales of Durham and Guilford, 

 Conn., and considerable material from the Green River beds of Fossil, 

 Wyoming; also casts of Megatherium and other large fossil verte- 

 brates. 



Zoology. Shells, on exhibition, 30,000^, in storage, 6o,ooo±; 

 Insects, on exhibition, 2ooo±, in storage, 3000±; Other inverte- 

 brates, on exhibition, 7ooo±, in storage, 300o±; Fishes, on exhibition, 

 1 5oo±, in storage, 5oo±; Batrachians, on exhibition, 200±; Reptiles, 

 on exhibition, 5oo±, in storage, ioo±; Birds, on exhibition, iooo±, 

 in storage, 7oo±; Mammals, on exhibition, 4.oo±. These collections 

 include full representations of the vertebrates of North America and 

 of the marine invertebrates of the New England coast. The large 

 collection of shells was obtained chiefly by the purchase of the collec- 

 tion of Dr. Simeon Shurtleff . 



Historical Sketch. The collection of museum material was 

 commenced at the time of the founding of the university in 1831. 

 John Johnston, professor of natural science for many years in the early 

 history of the college, collected many specimens from the rich minera- 

 logical localities in the vicinity of Middletown. The Franckfort 

 collection, rich in minerals from European localities, was purchased 

 in 1858, and the Shurtleff collection of shells, birds, etc., was purchased 

 in 1868. In 1871, George Brown Goode became connected with the 

 museum, which owes much to his energy as a collector and to his 

 genius as a museum administrator. Since 1893, Mr. Loper, the recent 

 curator, has made extensive collections of fossils in the vicinity of 



