The times., 1899-12-30

One OF the most interesting divisions OF
the osteoiogicsl exhibit in the National
Museum was opened 20 the public yester-
day afternoon. II consists OF a portion Of
the celebrated Marsh collection of fossil
vertebrates. and is located in The court i'm
mediately north OF the main hall o. oste-
ology. The papers which make the formal
transfer of this material from the United
States Geological Survey to the National
Museum were received at the Museum yes
terday.
The collection contains thousands OF
specimens Of fossil bones ranging from
teeth OF lizards OF the Jurassic age, about
the size Of a pinhead, to skulls Of NAM
moth saurIaus over five feet in length.
Comparatively little Of the Marsh col
lection. however. can be exhibited in the
present space Of the Museum. BY this
collection the National Museum is enriched
10 an extent which makes IT now the most
complete repository Of American fossil re-
mains in the world.
F. A Lucas. Curator Of Comparative An
atOmy in the National Museum, stated 20
a reporter for The Times that Prof. Marsh's
collection received by the Museum con-
fists Of 200 trays Of material twenty by
treuty-six inches). 200 unopened boxes
thirty blocks OF stone containing unworked
fossils, and ninety prepared specimens.
To ship the material required So boxes
making FIVE car loads. having an aggrc-
gate weight of 100 600 pounds la addition
TO this. two car loads were received some
years ago containing 2I1 boxes.
The collection contains very many speci-
mems OF utau0theres. group OF mammals
related 20 the elephant and rhinoceros. and
almost equaling the elephant in size i
Is particularly rich il dinosaurs.
Mr. Lucas stated that no mammal has
ever lived larger than the whale. but 10
land mammal existed in prehistoric times
larger than The dinasours represented in
this collection On The other hand, fossils
Of some O. the very smallest animals
known sre also included.
Prof o. C. Marsh. who made this col
lection, which is the largest ever assem-
bled by q single individual. was professor
OF paieontOlogy in Yale University al the
time of his death which occurred last
February. From 1882 10 1892 he held the
position of vertebrate paieontologist in the
United States Geological Survey.
It was during this time that The larger
portion Of this collection was obtained. II
also represents large outlay OF time and
money OF his own previous 10 MS come
ton with the Geological Survey.
The material was forwarded TO New
Haven, where Prof Marsh intended work
ing il up and oollaJing certain valuable
data Dis sudden death prevented This,
and Mr. Lucas was selected 20 take Up
the work. and last april he superintende1
the shipping Of the material 70 the National
Museum.
with the present facilities said Mr.
Lussc, years viii BE- required at the
Museum for getting all OF this material
into proper shape Only one preparatOr,
3 young man, is available for this
work and The means are also very
limited. It has been said the Ameri-
can Museum Of Natural History has
from Eve 20 ten trained preparstOT con-
stautly ar work and that from ten 10
twenty-five thousand dollars is annually
expended Ii its work The great need Of
Congressional assistance, which is felt in
ali departments OF the Museum is Strongly
illustrated iu the case Of The Marsh col
lection"
Only q small number o. these fossil
bones have been cleaned ready for sXhibi-
ton. a larger portion has been cleaned
sufficiently for study purposes. This-Eo k
Is extremely slow.
Mr. Lucas said that Prof Marsh was one
Of the disc0rerers Of dinosaurs in America,
and that hc collected more Of them tlan
ans other person. Although the National
Museum has beer in The field for years i
has not heeu able 20 obtain anything
which might be compared with Prot
MaTshs collection.
The National Museum is now making an
effort 10 complete Jne skeleton ~ one oi
the large tTceIatops received for eXhib.-
tlou ~ Inc Buffalo Pan-Amerieau EZposi-
tiou IN 1901 The skull Of one OF these
animals IS over five feet long and carri s
horn over foot in length Mr. Lucas
said thar he skeleton. when restored. viii
be about twenty SIX feet long and ten fset
high