HENRY F. OSBORN,
WM. B. SCOTT,
FRANCIS SPEIR, Jr.
September 1, 1878.
New York:
S. W. GREEN, PRINTER, Nos. 16 AND 18 JACOB STREET.
1878.
Palæontological Division.
PROF. JOSEPH KARGÈ,
ROLLIN H. LYNDE,
HENRY F. OSBORN,
JOTHAM POTTER,
WM. B. SCOTT,
FRANCIS SPEIR, Jr.
_To the Honorable the President and Board of Trustees of the College
of New Jersey:_
_Gentlemen:_
_I have the honor to transmit herewith the Palæontological Report of
the College Scientific Expedition of 1877._
_The fossils collected by the Palæontological party, and deposited by
the chief of the expedition in the Geological Museum, consisted of
two sets, one numbering some two thousand specimens of fossil plants
and insects from the tertiary beds of Central Colorado, the other of
a considerable series of fossil vertebrates, mostly mammals, from the
tertiary beds of Wyoming Territory, around Fort Bridger. This last
collection has been studied and worked out with unabated zeal and
diligence by the three post-graduate members of the Palæontological
party, Messrs. H. Osborn, W. Scott, and F. Speir, who devoted most of
the time of their course to this special work, with what success this
Report will show._
_It will be a source of gratification to the generous friends of
the College, who furnished means for the Scientific Expedition of
1877, that it not only enriched our Museum to so great an extent,
but did more still by fostering in our College a thorough study of
Palæontology, which could not have been undertaken without such means
as these thus placed at the disposal of our students._
_The fossil insects and plants have been intrusted to the hands of
the best specialists for determination. Dr. S. Scudder, of Cambridge,
Mass., has kindly consented to revise the insects. Prof. G. L.
Lequereux the plants._
_Very Respectfully,_
_A. GUYOT,_
_Director of the E. M. Museum of Geology and Archæology._
Princeton, June 1, 1878.
Sir: We transmit herewith our report upon the Palæontological
collections made by the Princeton party in the summer of 1877.
The following persons constituted the Palæontological division:
Rollin H. Lynde, Henry F. Osborn, Jotham Potter, Wm. B. Scott,
Francis Speir, Jr. The division remained in Colorado from the first
of July until the first of August, when, under the direction of
Professor Kargè, it left the main party, and passed the month of
August in Wyoming, returning in the first part of September. The
Colorado collections were mostly made in the (probable) Miocene
beds near Florissant, and in the beds near the Garden of the Gods,
variously referred to the _Dakota_ and _Wealden_ groups. In Wyoming,
with Fort Bridger as a base of explorations, the division was wholly
occupied in the Bridger series, camping successively on Smith's Fork,
Henry's Fork, and Dry Creek, and exploring the beds adjacent.
It has been our endeavor, in confining our attention to the remains
of vertebrated animals collected during the trip, not merely to
catalogue the direct results, but, by the aid of fresh materials, to
supplement the work of others. For, of the descriptions and data of
the Bridger Eocene Fauna published up to the present time, we find
that even those which have been most accurately prepared are lacking
in important details; and that, owing to imperfect materials, large
gaps yet remain in our knowledge of genera and species named and
classed years ago. Although such supplementary work may appear, at
first sight, tedious and ill-directed, we are confident that in the
end it will prove of some value to science, and that it is therefore
well worthy of our effort. While our field work did not extend beyond
a region previously well explored, we obtained material by means of
which we are able to add a number of new fossils to the Eocene Fauna
of the Bridger group.
In the preparation of this report we have experienced much difficulty
in assigning some of our specimens to their proper genera and
species. For, while we have desired to respect the classifications
made by others, we have in many cases found it impossible to do so,
owing to uncharacteristic definition, which, without doubt, has
been unavoidable. In all cases of uncertainty, we have adopted the
classification which appeared to be the best established. This, in
short, has proved the only available course.
The drawings have been executed with much care as to accuracy of
proportion and outline. They are, with one exception, the work of
a member of the party; and they are inserted simply to illustrate
certain parts of the context, which would be unsatisfactory without
reference to figures of the kind.
Now that the present work is ready for the press, we are very
sensible that it must contain errors which, while they have escaped
our notice, will be readily detected by eyes more experienced. These,
we trust, will be excused, when it is remembered that we are just
entering a field which others have explored for years; and opening a
work which Princeton, with her many other lines of study, has never
hitherto attempted.
We lake this opportunity to return our most hearty thanks to General
Flint, to Judge and Dr. Carter, to Mr. Hamilton, and other officers
and residents at Fort Bridger, who, by their good will and liberal
assistance, contributed largely to our success. Our gratitude is also
due to Professors Leidy and Cope for their generous aid, both in the
way of advice and of material put in our hands for comparison.
The following pages do not embrace descriptions of the entire
collections made by the Princeton party last summer. The valuable
specimens of fossil plants and insects have passed into other hands.
Respectfully submitted,
HENRY F. OSBORN,
WM. B. SCOTT,
FRANCIS SPEIR, Jr.
Dr. Arnold Guyot,
_Director of the E. M. Museum_.