136 The American Geologist. September, i899 
developing vertebrate fossils, so that even forms long known 
only from fragmentary remains were represented in his col- 
lections by almost complete specimens, presenting nearly the 
same degree of novelty shown in forms actually new. 
As a collector. Marsh was seen at his best, and the collec- 
tions he amassed during his forty-five years and more of 
activity in this direction form a lasting monument to his per- 
severance and foresight. A person with means and inclina- 
tion may be supposed to have the necessary qualities for 
accomplishing his aims, whether they are first editions, auto- 
graphs, or fossils, but had Marsh possessed no further qualifi- 
cations than these, the results of his collecting would fall far 
short of what he really attained. He not only had the means 
and the inclination, but entered every field of acquisition with 
the dominating ambition to obtain everything there was in 
it, and leave not a single scrap behind. Every avenue of 
approach was made use of, and cost was often a secondary 
consideration. The nine-tenths, when attained, were only an 
additional stimulus for securing the remaining one-tenth. Of 
course, this ideal of completeness was often impossible ol 
accomplishment, and yet it served to bring to the Yale Uni- 
versity Museum collections which are unique from their rich- 
ness and extent. 
In making an estimate of his character, it must not be 
forgotten that he developed wholly without the influence of 
family and home ties, which in most men profoundly, mark 
their mature life. Self-reliance is probably the strongest trait 
fostered by the absence of immediate family connections. This, 
Marsh possessed to an extraordinary degree, and it naturally 
led to a self-centering of his life and ambitions. Out of it 
came, also, an absence of the complete exchange of confidence 
which normally exists between intimate friends. Even where 
perfect confidence existed, he seldom revealed more about 
any particular matter than seemed to him necessary or than 
the circumstances really demanded. As a friend, he was kind, 
loval, and generous. As a patron of science, he has seldom 
been equaled. Honest work in any department appealed to 
him strongly, and he was ever ready with aid and counsel, 
even at the expense of a personal sacrifice. His disposition 
was a most happy one. and he was always keenly appreciative 
