GEOLOGY AND FOSSIL INVERTEBRATES 
Holmes 
Collection. 
Haast 
Collection. 
James Hall 
Collection. 
AN important collection illustrating the geology of Palestine and 
/\ Sinai was given to the Musemm in 1869, the first year of its 
existence, the Holmes Collection of Post Pliocene fossils from 
South Carolina was purchased in 1873, and the Haast Collection of 
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 
upon such a basis, both as to its extent and authority, as to render it 
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- 
fessor Hall, with whose investigations as State Geologist it is iden- 
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, 140,000 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 
exchange for other material. 
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