Men who Aided in Developing the Science of Geology. 103 



Amos Eaton died on the 10th day of May, 1842, in the 66th year of 

 his age. He made a geological surve}' of the country adjacent to the 

 Great Western canal, from 1820 to 1824, under the patronage of Van 

 Rensselaer. His index to the Northern States was published in 1818, 

 and the 2d edition in 1820. When the Rensselaer school was 

 established he was appointed a professor, and remained there during 

 the remainder of his life. 



Jean N. Nicollet was born Julv 24, 1786, and died on the 11th day 

 of September, 1843, at Washington, D. C. He had been in this 

 country about ten years, a large part of which time was devoted to a 

 geographical, topographical, astronomical and geological survey of 

 the Territories west of the Mississippi. He prepared a geological map 

 of the Western Territories, which was exhibited to the Association 

 of American geologists and naturalists for the year 1843; but we know 

 little of his geological work, save from the proceedings of the Associa- 

 tion, where he frequently spoke in off-hand debate, and from the valu- 

 able collection of fossils which he secured, part of which were described 

 by Dr. S. G. Morton. 



Richard Harlan was born at Philadelphia, September 19, 1796, and 

 died at New Orleans, in October. 1843. He was a physician by pro- 

 fession, and a prominent naturalist. His book on the Fauna Ameri- 

 cana is the leading work of his life, relating to palreontologieal 

 subjects. 



Adolphe Theophile Brongniart was born in Paris, in 1770. He 

 was a botanist of great learning, and described numerous plants from 

 the Coal Measures of America, in his Histoire des Vegetaux Fossiles 

 —published from 1828 to 1838. 



Douglass Houghton was born September 21, 1809, and on the night 

 of October 13, 1845, perished in a storm that capsized a small boat 

 in which he had embarked to go from Keweenaw Point to Eagle river, 

 on Lake Superior. He was an active and energetic geologist, and at 

 the time of his death was State Geologist of Michigan, and also 

 engaged in surve^ying the public lands of that State. 



On the 25th day of January, 1848. Lardner Vanuxem died, at his 

 farm, near Bristol, Pennsylvania. His father was a Philadelphia 

 merchant, and gave his son the advantage of three years in Paris, at 

 the school of Mines, where he became the associate of Brongniart and 

 other distinguished scientific men. After his return home he wsa 



