DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

May 3, 1898.
WASHINGTON, D. C.,

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Prof. Marsh:

Yours of April 30 received. I am pleased to learn
that you will have preparations made for Mr. Lucas. I expect
he will leave for New Haven the latter part of this week.

In view of our limited knowledge of the collections in
New Haven, I shall request Mr. Lucas to make, as far as practi-
cable, a list of the worked-out specimens belonging to the
Government. Your reports show the accumulation of a large
amount of field material, and I think it is exceedingly desirable
that a list should be obtained for filing out of the material
which has been worked out at Government expense. I have had it
intimated to me from time to time that the work on the collec-
tion of Government material was insignificant in extent, and
I wish to have the data in hand for use in event of being
questioned upon the subject.

I hope that as you are working on the collections you
will have the list of types belonging to the Government made out
and sent on at the earliest practicable date.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 31, 1898.

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Prof. Marsh:

I received this morning your list of scientific publications. It is a very fine exhibit of work done, and I need hardly say it is my earnest wish that it may be rounded out by the addition of several monographs of the Survey, which you now have in course of preparation.

A short time since we had occasion to look up some illustrations that had been prepared for the Hayden Survey but which had been stored in the Government warehouse, and we found among them a large number of plates evidently prepared for your monographs. Most of them were well boxed and taken care of, but some of them were not protected and were getting damaged. Means will be taken to protect these plates in future.

Mr. Lucas writes me that you are turning over a great deal of material to him. I am very glad to learn of this and think it is best that all material that you do not need for your work should be sent on to Washington. If the material is here means will be found to do something towards working it out, whereas, if it remain in New Haven, it will only be in storage.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

DIVISION OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY

NEW HAVEN, CONN.,

June 11, 1898.

Hon. Charles D. Walcott,

Director, U. S. Geological Survey.

Dear Sir: -

In my interview with you last winter when considering the advisability of publishing my report to you dated February 10, 1898, you suggested that a good plan to put some of the facts on record, especially in regard to the collections of Government fossils already sent to Washington, would be to wait until the next large instalment I had ready to send was received at the National Museum, and then publish in Science a statement regarding that collection, and also a record of the collections previously sent.

To carry out your suggestion, I have put the facts in shape for publication, and herewith enclose the manuscript for your approval. If the statement enclosed is all right, I will see that it appears in an early number of Science, where I am sure it will do good in removing much misunderstanding.

New Haven, Conn., June 3, 1898.

F. A. Lucas's estimate of money value of U. S. Geological Survey collections of Vertebrate Fossils sent to National Museum (1886 - 1898), by Prof. O. C. Marsh, Paleontologist: -

(1) 72 Boxes Kansas Pliocene Fossils sent in 1886 . . . $ 5,400

(2) 4 " Florida " " " 1890 . . . 1,000

(3) 33 " Collection Vertebrate Fossils sent in 1891 . 12,825

(4) 2 " Part of same collection sent later . . . 125

(5) 43 " Kansas Pliocene Fossils sent in 1896 . . . 6,375

(6) 100 " Collection Vertebrate Fossils sent in 1898 . 17,150

$42,875

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON, D. C.,

June 13, 1898.

Dear Sir:

I have the pleasure of acknowledging the receipt of
yours of June 11, announcing the forwarding of an installment
of the collections of vertebrate fossils made during the
years 1882-1892 by yourself as paleontologist in charge of
the vertebrate paleontology of the Survey.

The collection will be transmitted to the National Museum,
in conformity with the law governing such matters.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NEW HAVEN, CONN.,

My own estimate, based on equally wide experience in such matters, would make the present cash value of the same collections about one-fourth greater. The value would thus be over Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), a sum considerably larger than the entire amount of Government funds devoted to collecting vertebrate fossils during the years (1882 - 1892), when as Vertebrate Paleontologist of the Survey I had charge of that work.

Very respectfully,

(Signed) O. C. Marsh.

Important Vertebrate Fossils for the National Museum.—
Prof. O. C. MARSH has recently transmitted from New Haven to the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, the fourth large instalment of Vertebrate Fossils secured in the West, in 1882-92, under his direction, as Paleontologist of the U. S. Geological Survey, in charge of Vertebrate Paleontology. The collection is packed in one hundred (100) boxes, and weighs over thirteen (13) tons. In accordance with law, the material will be deposited in the National Museum. This collection includes twelve skulls and other remains of the gigantic *Ceratopsia* from the Cretaceous; various *Dinocerata* fossils from the Eocene; a series of rare specimens of *Brontotherium*, *Elotherium*, *Mohippus*, and other genera, from the Miocene; a very extensive collection of Rhinoceros and other mammals from the Pliocene; as well as various interesting fossils from more recent deposits.

The other important collections of Vertebrate Fossils secured by Prof. Marsh in the West for the Geological Survey, and previously transferred to the National Museum, may be briefly enumerated as follows:—

(1) Seventy-two (72) large boxes of Pliocene fossils, weighing about 7,500 lbs., were transferred December 31, 1886, and were stored in the Armory, February 8, 1887. The record of these boxes is on file in the office of the Geological Survey, and the Smithsonian numbers of the boxes are 6601-6672.

(2) Thirty-three (33) large boxes (weighing 6,960 lbs.) of rare Vertebrate Fossils, ready for exhibition, were transferred July 17, 1891, and were placed in a case specially prepared for them in the National Museum, before the opening of the International Congress of Geologists held in Washington that year.

(3) Forty-three (43) large boxes (weighing 4,380 lbs.) of Pliocene Vertebrate Fossils were transferred April 17, 1896.

These various collections, with other smaller consignments transferred to the National Museum (255 boxes in all, with a total weight of over 20 tons) were secured under the special direction of Prof. Marsh, as Paleontologist of the U. S. Geological Survey, in charge of Vertebrate Paleontology, during 1882-92. The remaining collections thus made, and still at New Haven, will be sent to Washington as soon as their scientific investigation now in progress is completed.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON, D. C.,

July. 1, 1898.

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

Paleontologist, U. S. G. S.,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Sir:

For the vertebrate paleontologic work under your charge
there has been allotted, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1899,
the sum of $1,000, which amount shall cover salaries and all ex-
penses whatsoever incurred in connection with the work to the
close of the fiscal year.

You will continue the study of vertebrate fossils for the
purpose of preparing for publication monographs based upon col-
lections that have been made in the past.

Director.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON, D. C.,

Oct. 28, 1998.

Prof. O.C. Marsh,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Prof. Marsh:

I returned to the office day before yesterday and found
your kind note of October 21. In view of my long absence
from Washington and the accumulation of matters which require
early attention, I do not feel that I can take the time to
attend the meeting, unless it be necessary that I should be
present at the business meeting on the 16th.

I thank you for your invitation to be your guest during
the session and regret that I can not see my way clear to spend
a few days in New Haven, as I should like very much to do so.

I had a very pleasant summer.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

K.

WASHINGTON, D. C. December 12, 1898.

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

Yale College,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Sir:

I wish to acknowledge the receipt of the following
pamphlets from you:

Comparative value of Different kinds of Fossils in determining Geological age. Families of Sauropodous Dinosauria.

The value of type specimens and importance of their preservation. The Origin of Mammals.

Cycad Horizons in the Rocky Mountain Region.

The Jurassic Formation on the Atlantic Coast.

I am glad to see that you are continuing your active work of research, and trust that before the close of the fiscal year we shall receive the manuscript for one of the monographs on vertebrate fossils on the West.

Shall you attend the meeting of the G.S.A. in New York Christmas week?

( Copy )

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NEW HAVEN, CONN.,

December 22, 1898.

Hon. Charles D. Walcott,

Dear Sir:-

I wish to acknowledge the receipt of your Monograph, on
the Fossil Medusae, which I received a short time since. It is a
most important contribution to Paleontology; one that I am sure will
be appreciated by geologists and paleontologists, both in this country
and in Europe.

I shall not be able to attend the meeting of the G. S. A., in
New York, as I wish to devote part of my holiday vacation to some
field work, mainly in New Jersey.

I hope to be in Washington the last of next week, and consult
with you about a number of matters of importance.

K.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

WASHINGTON, D. C.,

January 10, 1899.

Dear Sir:

I wish to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
January 5, in relation to certain fossils which you loaned
Mr. Emmons during the preparation of the Denver volume.

The specimens are now at the Museum in charge of Mr.
Stanton, and will be placed in the collections and catalogued.

( Copy )

K.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
United States Geological Survey

Washington, D.C., January 10, 1899.

Dear Sir:

Return if not delivered in TE

19,1899.

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Sir:

I shall be obliged if you will, at your earliest
convenience, examine and identify a collection of fossil bones
obtained last summer by Mr. Darton at Buffalo Gap. I under-
stand that you have looked over the material and think it
likely that it will throw light on the development of mammali-
an life in late Jurassic or possibly lower Cretaceous time.

Mr. Darton says he has labeled the material and will ship
it at once. The approximate weight is 900 pounds.

(299,'99)

Director.

WASHINGTON, D. C.

Jan. 19, 1899.

Prof. O. C. Marsh,

New Haven, Conn.

Dear Sirs:

I shall be obliged if you will, at your earliest convenience, examine and identify a collection of fossil bones obtained last summer by Mr. Darton at Buffalo Gap. I understand that you have looked over the material and think it likely that it will throw light on the development of mammalian life in late Jurassic or possibly lower Cretaceous time.

(299, '99)

Director.

( Copy )

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NEW HAVEN, CONN.,

February 16, 1899.

Hon. Charles D. Walcott,

Sir: -

In reply to your inquiry of January 14th, I beg to say that I shall not be able to furnish any paper for the Twentieth Annual Report.

Paleontologist.