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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXXVIII. 



especially valuable for the rare Phyllocarida and for Pelecypoda. 

 He also collected living molluscs and minerals and became well 

 versed in both lines of study. He took the science course 

 at the University of Michigan, receiving the degree of B. S. in 

 1878. 



In 1878 Beecher became assistant to Professor James Hall at 

 Albany, where he remained for ten years. While at Albany he 

 acquired an intimate knowledge of palaeozoic fossils, so that with 

 his truly remarkable memory, it seemed that he could name at 

 sight any species offered to him. Always interested in micro- 

 scopical work he prepared some two hundred and fifty sections 

 of the shells of fossil brachiopods for study in connection with 

 the work of the New York Survey on that group. Besides 

 work on collections of fossils at Albany, he rendered important 

 assistance to Professor James Hall in the preparation of that 

 author's large quarto monographs on cephalous Mollusca,i Lam- 

 ellibranchiata,2 corals and Bryozoa.^ As Beecher published 

 little systematic work in later life I would lay stress on what 

 he did as assistant to Professor Hall at this period. To quote 

 Professor Hall, as stated in the Prefaces of the several works 

 cited : " In the preparation and final revision of the descriptions 

 of the species of Cephalopoda I have been very ably assisted by 

 Mr. C. E. Beecher." Again, " In the final revision of the genera 

 and species [of Lamellibranchiata] and in the preparation of the 

 text and the later plates of this volume the author cheerfully 

 acknowledges the very valuable assistance rendered by Mr. 

 Charles E. Beecher." In the second volume on the Lamelli- 

 branchiata Professor Hall says : " In the revision of the spe- 

 cies, and the publication of this volume, the author acknowl- 

 edges with great satisfaction the assistance rendered by Mr. C. 

 E. Beecher. In the last work cited on corals and Bryozoa Pro- 



1 Natural History of New York. Paleontology. Vol. 5, Part 2, Gasteropoda, 

 Pteropoda, and Cephalopoda of the Upper Helderberg, Hamilton, Portage and 

 Chemung Groups. Albany, 1879. p. 1-15 and 1-492, pi. 1-113. 



■^n,id. Vol. 5, Part I. Lamellibranchiata [of the Upper Helderberg, Hamilton, 



and 81-92. c, Albany, 1885. p. r-62 and 269-562, 7 figs. pi. 34-80 and 93-96. 



V^/V/. Vol. 6, Corals and Bryozoa .... from the Lower Helderberg, Upper 

 Helderberg and Hamilton Groups. Albany, 1897. p. 1-26 and 1-298, pi. 1-66. 



