GEOLOGY AND FOSSIL INVERTEBRATES 



AN important collection illustrating the geology of Palestine and 

 /-m Sinai was given to the Museum in 1869, the first year of its 



"^" existence, the Holmes collection of Post Pliocene fossils from Holmes 

 South Carolina was purchased in 1873, and the Haast collection of Collection - 

 New Zealand Moa bones in 1874. The acquisition of this material, 

 together with other valuable acquisitions, led the Trustees in 1875 to 

 direct special effort "toward establishing the Geological Department Haast 

 upon such a basis, both as to its extent and authority, as to render it Collection, 

 of high and permanent scientific value." 



The first step toward this end was the purchasing of the collection 

 of fossils and other geological material belonging to Professor James 

 Hall of Albany. This material was collected almost entirely by Pro- James Hail 

 fessor Hall, with whose investigations as State Geologist it is iden- ° ectlon - 

 tified, much of it having been gathered during the Survey of New York 

 State. Large collections had also been made from the Western States 

 for the purpose of fixing the New York geological nomenclature. It 

 comprised 80,000 to 100,000 specimens, including about 7,000 types and 

 figured specimens. The acquisition of this collection placed the Museum 

 in the lead among American institutions in respect to Paleozoic fossils. 

 Especially noteworthy in the Hall collection, aside from the New York 

 series, are the Potsdam fossils from Minnesota; Trenton forms from 

 Wisconsin and Iowa; Niagara fossils from Indiana; corals from the 

 falls of the Ohio River; crinoids from Burlington, Iowa; and the Lower 

 Carboniferous fauna of Spergen Hill, Indiana. The price paid for the 

 Hall collection was $65,000, $40,000 of which was specially subscribed 

 by the Trustees and friends of the Museum. The duplicates were 

 separated into the collections, some of which were sold, others used in 

 exchange for other material. 



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