New Haven, Conn., March 3, 1893.

Prof. G. Brown Goode,

Assistant Secretary, Smithsonian Institution.

Dear Sir: -

In accordance with your request, I enclose herewith my report as honorary curator of the department of vertebrate paleontology, for the year ending June 30, 1892.

I have made the report conform to those in your annual report for 1890, which I have recently received. If you wish me to include anything else, or to put the report in any other shape, please let me know, and I will make it all right.

As my collection is not yet fully named and labeled, I did not think it best to give a detailed account of it as recorded in your catalogue. This can be done later.

I was in doubt whether to state more fully Mr. Lucas's services during the year on the other collections in the department, but will gladly do so if it is in my province, and he will send me the data.

Yours, very truly,

Honorary curator.

3

Jurassic; another to those from the Cretaceous; while the third and
fourth would be required for the vertebrate fossils of the Tertiary
alone.

During the past year, the honorary curator of this department has
published a number of papers relating, in part, to the collections above
described, but these publications belong more appropriately to his work
in connection with the U. S. Geological Survey. In two memoirs now in
preparation, however, he will give full descriptions of the more important
specimens he has recently deposited in the National Museum.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

3.7.26.

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM

S. P. LANGLEY, Secretary
G. BROWN GOODE, Assistant Secretary,
In charge of U. S. National Museum

Washington,

March 7, 1893.

Dear Professor Marsh:

I thank you for your letter of March 3, enclosing your report
as Honorary Curator of the Department of Vertebrate Fossils in the Na-
tional Museum. It seems to me just what is wanted. I will therefore
have it put in its proper place in the Report, and hope that we shall
be able to send up the manuscript to the Public Printer in a few days.

Professor O. C. Marsh,

New Haven, Connecticut.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM

S. P. LANGLEY, Secretary
G. BROWN GOODE, Assistant Secretary,
in charge of U. S. National Museum

Washington,

July 1, 1893.

Dear Sir:

It is intended after the first of July to establish a rule concerning the preservation and loan of type-specimens belonging to the National Museum, somewhat in the form hereto appended. I send this form to you for your information, and for the purpose of giving you an opportunity to criticize it, if you should desire to do so. I may say in this connection that by a type is meant a specimen which has been used by the author of a systematic paper as the basis for detailed study, and as the foundation of a specific name. In cases where a considerable number of specimens has been used, it is desirable to separate one or more as being the *primary* types, while the other specimens which may have been used in the same study for the purpose of comparison, may be regarded as *collateral* types. It will, of course, not always be necessary to apply the same rules to the use of the *collateral* types as to *primary* types.

The importance of a type is, of course, greatly increased when it has been used by a succession of authorities, and the date regarding such use should be recorded in the catalogues and on the labels.

It is becoming more and more necessary every year that the Museum should have some definite and positive rule in regard to the treatment of type-specimens, and, as you well know, the interest of naturalists in the preservation of such material is increasing year by year.

Prof. O. B. Marsh
Curator, Dept. of Vertebrate Fossils,

U. S. National Museum,
Washington, D. C.,

July 1, 1893.

REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE PRESERVATION OF TYPE-SPECIMENS.

(1) Each Curator is responsible for the type-specimens in his custody.

(2) No types will be lent, or allowed to be taken out of the building.

(3) Every type-specimen in the National Museum should be distinguished by a peculiar label.

(NOTE.) In the Departments of Mammals and of Birds, a red label is used, and it is suggested that, as far as possible, a similar label should be used in the other Departments.

(4) A special book should be kept by each Curator, in which all the types under his custody, should be entered under their catalogue numbers, with full data, including a reference to the place of description.

(5) In the Annual Report of each Department, statement should be made of the condition of the types in its custody.

(6) When, in the judgment of a Curator, it is necessary for the safety of the types in his custody that they be kept in a separate case, arrangements will be made to enable him to do this, and Curators are requested to call attention to such necessity whenever it arises. They will be held responsible for injury to type-specimens resulting from a failure to take precautionary measures of this kind.

(7) The collection of types in the National Museum will be open to inspection and study by any investigator. Curators may, however, impose such restrictions as they deem necessary to protect themselves from losses for which they are by these regulations held responsible:---provided, that the free use of the material, under the provisions already laid down, is in no way impeded thereby.

Enclosure.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

8. 15. 20.

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM

Washington, August 15, 1893.

Professor O. C. Marsh,

Yale College,

New Haven, Connecticut.

Dear Professor Marsh:-

I have been out of repair and away from the Institution for
the last two months. I received your letter about the cartoons, and
sent to Chicago, asking Mr. Earll, who is in charge of our exhibit
there, to do what he could to secure their display. I send you a let-
ter which I have recently received from him. He seems to have given
the matter a good deal of attention, and to have been unable to do any-
thing with the cartoons.

I am very sorry that you should have been disappointed in the
matter, but I am afraid that you will have to settle the question with
Professor Clarke, who seems to have had very positive views as to what
should be done.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

S. P. LANGLEY, Secretary

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM
WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.
CHICAGO,

Washington,

August 7, 1893.

Dear Mr. Goode:-

Some time ago I received your letter requesting that
two of the Marsh cartoons, prepared at the request of the Geological
Survey for its exhibit, be displayed in the Smithsonian Space. I have
carefully examined the cartoons, and have tried to find a place for
them - in fact have actually had them hung, and then after looking at
them in position, have been compelled to take them down again. The
more I try the harder it is to see any possible way of exhibiting them
without seriously injuring the general effect of our display, which is
now, I think, universally conceded to be "bang up".

After wrestling with the problem for some time I called Mr. Holmes
to my aid, and he quite agrees with me that it would be unfortunate to
be obliged to hang them. Please do not understand me that there is
absolutely no place for them, but when you know that the very smallest
ones are fifteen feet long by ten feet wide, and that there would
naturally be reluctance on the part of the Departments occupying the

(G. B. G. - 2.)

adjoining areas, to have us hang the cartoons so that the backs would
show from their space, you will, I am sure, appreciate the difficulty.

After satisfying myself that we had no suitable place for them, I
went over to the Interior Department space and found what I consider
suitable places on the walls for five of them, and called Prof. Clarke's
attention to the matter. He replied that he had thought of hanging
them in the spaces referred to, and even attempted to do so, but owing
to the height from the floor had found difficulty in hanging them. I
then offered to allow my men to hang the cartoons for him, but he said
he did not care to have it done at present. Evidently he does not
care to have them hung in his space, as he thinks it would spoil the
general effect. Also in discussing the matter a little later with
Major Powell, Professor Clarke was urged to hang them but he still
objected.

I feel confident that it would be an injury to our exhibit to hang
them in our space. They do not harmonize with any of our exhibits
and there are a number of reasons why, if they are to be hung at all,
they should go in the Survey space:

1st, They were prepared at the expense of the Survey Exhibit.

2nd, They naturally belong with the large skeletons of extinct
animals, exhibited by the Survey.

(G. B. G. - 3.)

3rd, There is ample room for them there.

I have written you fully so that you may understand the condition
of affairs and if, under the circumstances, you still think it advisable
for them to be displayed in our space, kindly advise me and I will
make room for them somewhere.

awaiting your reply, I remain,

REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF VERTEBRATE FOSSILS IN THE U. S.

NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893.

By O. C. Marsh, Honorary Curator.

The work in this department of the museum during the past year has been partly devoted to mounting and labeling the specimens already placed in *this* cases in the exhibition room, and *this work* has been under the special charge of Mr. F. A. Lucas, assistant curator, whose services have been most efficient.

The preparation of specimens secured by the honorary curator, during his explorations in the West for the United States Geological Survey, *has been continued systematically* at New Haven, and good progress *has been made*, but the want of proper space to exhibit such specimens has prevented any of these being placed on exhibition in the National Museum during the past year. If the plan of exhibiting *Vertebratæ Fossiles* proposed by the honorary curator in *the* last annual report, can be carried out, the present extensive collection now in the museum can be systematically enlarged, until all the space available for this department is occupied.

One part of the plan proposed by the honorary curator to the director of the museum was to use the wall space above the cases for a series of life-size restorations of the large extinct animals especially characteristic of North America. This plan was approved by the director, and an important beginning has been made during the last year by *this Departmental Curator*, *the Honorary Curator*.

A series of six restorations has been prepared for this purpose, under the immediate direction of *the Honorary Curator*. These restorations

represent on canvas the skeletons, natural size, of two gigantic reptiles from the Jurassic formation, *Ceratosaurus* and *Stegosaurus*; two others from the Cretaceous, *Claosaurus* and *Triceratops*; and two huge mammals from the Tertiary, *Tinoceras* and *Brontotherium*. These restorations have been made with great care, and if properly exhibited, as proposed, will prove of special value to paleontologists, and of much interest to the general public. Similar restorations of other extinct animals to complete the ~~goddard series~~ are in preparation, and will be finished as soon as the other work will permit.

The honorary curator of this department has published, during the past year, several papers relating indirectly to the collections of vertebrate fossils mentioned above, but these publications belong more especially to his work in connection with the United States Geological Survey. In memoirs now in preparation, however, he will describe fully the more important specimens he has already deposited in the National Museum.

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM

UNDER DIRECTION OF

THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

WASHINGTON

Dec. 6 1893

MEMORANDUM TO CURATORS.

The special attention of Curators is called to paragraph XLIII
in the Regulations of the Museum (Circular No.1) governing official
correspondence. It is therein provided that correspondence of a
formal or complimentary character transmitting specimens or books,
acknowledging gifts or courtesies, making arrangements for exchanges
etc., etc., will be signed by the officer in charge of the Museum,
who may request any curator to prepare such writing. This category
is intended to include all correspondence authorizing the expendi-
ture of money, or involving the same, either for the purchase or for
the transmission of specimens to the Museum - especially in the
latter case, where large sendings by express are desired.

In several instances this rule has been overlooked, and, as a
result, the Museum has been made responsible for large expenditures
for express charges, which could have been avoided or greatly dimin-
ished, had the proper routine been followed in regard to the manner
of conducting the correspondence.

It is desirable, therefore, that the Curators should hold con-
stantly in mind that all negotiations for the transmission of mater-
ial at the expense of the Museum, or for its purchase, are to be
referred to the Assistant Secretary (or Curator-in-charge) for ap-