Vou. VEiE=' Note
NEW HAVEN, CONN., THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1898.
Prick Tren Cents,
IMPORTANT GIFT 10 YALE.
Professor Marsh Presents His Scien=
tific Collections to the University.
At the meeting of the Yale Corpora-
tion;: held onthe . 13th ist. ©).-C.
Marsh, Professor of Paleontology, for-
mally presented to the University the
valuable scientific collections belonging
to him, now deposited in the Peabody
Museum. These collections, six: in
number, are in many respects the most
extensive and valuable of any in the
country, and have been brought to-
gether by Professor Marsh at great
labor and expense, during the last
thirty years. The paleontological col-
lections are well known, and were
mainly secured by Professor Marsh
during his explorations in the Rocky
Mountains. They include most of the
type specimens he has described in His
various publications. The collection of
osteology and that of American arche-
ology are also extensive and of great
interest. The present value of all these
collections makes this the most impor-
tant gift to natural science that Yale
has yet received.
At the same meeting, the Yale Cor-
poration accepted Professor Marsh’s
gift by a unanimous vote, and expressed
their high appreciation of his gener-
osity to the University.
Professor Marsh’s letter accompany-
ing his deed of gift is essentially as
follows:
“To the President and Fellows of Yale
University. :
GENTLEMEN:—It is thirty years and
more since Mr. George Peabody estab-
lished at Yale, by a gift of one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars, the Museum
that now bears his name. This was in
1866, the year I began my work as
Professor of Paleontology, and I se-
cured this gift mainly with a view of
building up a Department of Paleon-
tology that should be a school of origi-
nal research as well as one of instruc-
tion. The collections of natural history
which I had thus brought together
were subsequently deposited in the
Peabody Museum, and from that time
I have endeavored in every way to
increase these collections, so that at
present they are in many respects the
most extensive and valuable in this
country.
“Tt has always been part of my plan
that these scientific collections should
eventually become the property of Yale
University, and from the first I pro-
vided in my will for such a disposition
of them. As it now seems probable
that I may not be able to carry out my
original intentions in regard to a De-
partment of Paleontology at Yale, I
have decided to present these collec-
tions to the University, subject only to
certain conditions that appear neces-
sary for their permanent care and
preservation. The deed of gift, which
I herewith enclose, bears the date of
January Ist, 1808. :
SIX SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONS.
“These various collections, now de-
posited in the Peabody Museum in
New Haven, include six of special
importance which may be briefly de-
scribed as follows:—
(1) The Collection of Vertebrate Fossils.
This is the most important and valu-
able of all, as it is very extensive, con-
tains a very large number of type speci-
mens, many of them unique, and is
widely known from the descriptions
already published. In extinct Mam-
mals, Birds, and Reptiles, of North
special local interest.
_ America, this series stands pre-eminent.
“This collection was pronounced by
Huxley, who examined it with care in
1876, to be surpassed by no other in
the world. Darwin, in 1878, expressed
a strong desire to visit America for the
sole purpose of seeing this collection.
Since then it has been more than dou-
bled in size and value, and still holds
first rank. The bulk of this collection
has been secured in my western explo-
rations, which have extended over a
period of nearly thirty years, during
which I have crossed the Rocky Moun-
tains twenty-seven times.
“(2) The Collection of Fossil Footprints.
These specimens are mainly from the
Connecticut Valley, and thus have a
They also form
one of the most extensive and complete
collections of the kind in this country,
if not the most valuable of all.
“(3) The Collection of Invertebrate
Fossils. This includes a large number
of interesting specimens from many
formations and localities, both in this
country and in Europe. Some of these
fossils I collected myself, but the great-
er number were secured by purchase.
Among the series of specimens espe-
cially valuable may be mentioned sev-
eral thousand from the famous Mazon
Creek locality in Illinois; a very exten-
sive collection of Crinoids from Craw-
fordsville in Indiana; the largest col-
lection of nearly entire Trilobites yet
discovered; and one of the rarest
series of Silurian Sponges known,
including important type specimens.
“(4) The Collection of Recent Osteology.
‘This is believed to be the most com-
plete collection in this country for pur-
poses of study. I have made special
efforts for many years to secure the
skeletons of rare existing vertebrates
from every part of the world, particu-
larly of Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles.
The collection is especially rich in
Anthropoid Apes, the Gorillas being
represented by no less than thirteen
individuals, and the other genera by
rare characteristic specimens.
“(5) The Collection of American Arche-
ology and Ethnology. This collection is
the best in the country in - several
branches of the science, being particu-
larly rich in Central American antiqui-
ties, several thousand specimens in
number and many of them unique.
Some of these I obtained myself in
Central America, and among the others
is the famous de Zeltner collection,
rich in gold ornaments, which I secured
by purchase. The specimens from
Mexico are also of great interest, and
the series is a representative one. It
includes the well-known Skilton col-
lection.
_ “(6) The Collection of Minerals. This
is a limited collection, but contains
many valuable specimens, among them
probably the most interesting series
known of Nova Scotian Zeolites. These
were mainly collected by myself, before
I graduated at Yale, during six expe-
ditions to Nova Scotia.
“The three principal collections in
the above series, numbered 1, 4, and 5
have practically no other reptesenta-
tives at Yale, and hence their impor-
‘tance to this institution.
“Besides the six main collections
named, I have several others of less
value, which include fossil plants, casts
of fossils, geological specimens, and
recent zoological material. These, also,
are deposited in the Peabody Museum,
and are covered by the present deed of
gilt.
* * * * * *
“On learning of the acceptance of
this gift on the part of the Corporation
of Yale University, with the conditions
stated in the accompanying deed, I will
make the formal transfer to them of
all the collections above named.
Very respectfully,
O. C. Marsa.
Yale University, January 1; 1808.”
CONDITIONS OF THE GIFT.
The conditions on which Professor
Marsh gives his invaluable collections
to Yale University, for the benefit of
all departments of the University, are
few in number, the more important
being the following:—
“(1) The scientific collections I now
‘give to Yale University shall be kept
in the present Peabody Museum build- -
ing or in additions thereto equally safe
from fire.
“(2) During my life, these collec-
tions shall remain, as now, under my
supervision and control, available for
my own investigation and description,
or for the work of others designated
by me.
“(3) At my decease, and forever
after, these collections shall be under
the charge of the Trustees of the Pea-
body Museum and their successors, and
in the special custody of Curators
recommended by them and appointed
by the Corporation of Yale University.
“(4) The type specimens and others
of special importance in these collec-
tions shall not be removed from the
Museum building. Less valuable speci-
mens, however, especially duplicates,
may be so removed by vote of the
Trustees of the Museum.”
SCIENTIFIC VALUE OF THE GIFT.
From a scientific point of view, the
value of the collections now presented
to Yale is beyond price, each one con-
taining many specimens that can never
be duplicated, and are already of his-
torical interest in the annals of science.
Among the prominent features of one
of these collections, that of extinct ver-
tebrates, may be mentioned (1) the
series of fossils illustrating the gene-
alogy of the horse, as made out by
Professor Marsh, and accepted by
Huxley, who used it as the basis of
his New York lectures; (2) the Birds
with teeth, nearly two hundred indi-
viduals, described in Professor Marsh’s
well-known monograph “QOdontorni-
thes’; (3) the gigantic’ Dinocerata,
several hundred in number, Eocene
mammals described in his monograph
on this group; (4) the Brontotheridae,
huge Miocene mammals, some two
hundred in number; (5) Pterodactyles,
or flying dragons, over six hundred in
number; (6) the Mosasaurs, or Cre-
taceous sea-serpents, represented by
more than fifteen hundred individuals;
(7) a large number of Dinosaurian rep-
tiles, some of gigantic size. Besides
these are various other groups of Mam-
mals, Birds, and Reptiles, most of them
including unique specimens.
RESOLUTIONS. OF THE YALE CORPORA-
TION. ee
The resolutions of the Corporation
of Yale University, accepting Professor
Marsh’s gift, and showing their appre-
ciation of his services to the University,
are given below:—
“Yale University,
January 13, 1808.
The President and Fellows, having
received a deed of gift from Professor
Othniel C. Marsh, presenting to the
University his very valuable collections
now in the Peabody Museum, which
represent the labor of many years on
his part and also the expenditure of a
large amount from his personal for-
tune, desire, as they accept the gift, to
communicate to him, and to place on
record, an expression of their grateful
acknowledgment of his generosity.
“In this grateful acknowledgment
they are confident that all the gradu-
ates and friends of Yale will unite,
when they learn of this most recent
manifestation of his long-continued
interest in the University, even as they
already fully appreciate the unselfish
devotion of his: time, his talents, and
his energies, for more than thirty years,
to the scientific researches which have °
given him such personal distinction and
have brought such renown to the
institution.
TimotHy Dwicnat,
~ President.”
The legal transfer to Yale University
of all the scientific collections above
mentioned has since been made by
Professor Marsh.
ANNIVERSARY COMMITTEE,
The Corporation’s Choice of Men for
This Purpose.
The Yale Corporation, at its meet-
ing, January 13, took the first formal
step for the celebration of Yale’s two-
hundredth anniversary; in October,
1901. This step was the appointment
of the committee in whose hands will
be all the arrangements for the cele-
bration. This committee was chosen
as follows:
First, the three following officers of
the University, ex-officio: President
Timothy Dwight, ’49; Mr. W. W. Far-
nam, 66, Treasurer of the University;
Prof. F. B. Dexter, ’61, Secretary of
the Corporation. Next to these, as
‘particularly representing the ‘Faculty
and as peculiarly fitted for such service,
the names were added of Professor '
George P. Fisher, Dean of the Theo-
logical School; Professor George J.
Brush, Director of the Sheffield Sci-
entific School, and Professor Francis
Wayland, Dean of the Law School.
Hon. Henry E. Howland, ’54, of New
Yor: Rev. De. Charles: K 4Palmer,
55. of New Haven, and the Hon. E. G.
Mason, ’60, of Chicago, were chosen
from the Corporation itself. The rest
of the committee is made up from the
graduate list, though it includes two
members of the Faculty. The names
as follows: Mr. Payson Meririll,
New York; Mr. George C. Holt,
66, New York; Mr. Thomas Hooker,
69, New Haven; Mr. W. L. McLane,
69, New York; Mr. Thomas Thacher,
’71, New York; Mr. Charles Hopkins
Clark, ’71, Hartford; Prof. Theodore
S. Woolsey, ’72, New Haven; Mr.
Samuel R. Betts, 775; Mr. Frederick
W. Vanderbilt, ’76S., New York; Pro-
fessor John C. Schwab, ’86, New Ha- —
ven; Mr. Harry P. Whitney, ’o4, New
York; Mr. William Sloane, ’95, New
York. |
The committee will soon meet to lay
out the general program of work.
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Wale Hockey Schedule.
The management of the Yale Hockey
team have announced the following
schedule:
January 20th, New Jersey Athletic
Club at the Claremont Avenue Rink,
Brooklyn; January 22d, Harvard at
Lake Whitney; January 26th, Mont-
clair Athletic Club at Claremont Avenue
Rink; January 29th, Brown at the
Claremont Avenue Rink;_ February
5th, Columbia at the St. Nicholas Rink,
New York City; February 12th, Har-
vard at Cambridge. There will be
another game with Brown, the date and
location of which has not- yet been
determined. The team practices at
Lake Whitney whenever it is possible
to do so.
