Dexter Marsh, an American paleontologist, bora in 1806 died in Greenfield, Mass., April 2, 1853. Without education, and by occupation a day laborer, his attention was first attracted to the subject of fossils by observing in 1885 the footprints in slabs designed for flagging stones. He was early engaged in the search for specimens, sometimes in the em-ploy of others, but in later years chiefly on his own account, traversing the valley of the Connecticut from the northern line of Massachusetts to Wethersfield, and visiting also the states of New Jersey and New Hampshire. At the time of his death, notwithstanding his frequent supplies, to others, his cabinet contained, as the result of his own personal exertions, perhaps the choicest collection of fossil footprints and fishes then in existence. One slab, 10 ft. in length by 6 in width, contained at least 70 distinct footprints; and another, 7 ft. by 4, was literally covered with perfect impressions. There were in all about 500 slabs with tracks and raindrops impressed upon them, and 200 specimens of fossil fishes.

After his death the whole collection was sold for about $2,700. (See Fossil Footprints).