Bliss Herbarium and Botanic Garden; Vertebrate and Invertebrate Zoology; Geology and Fossils; Antique Scientific Equipment and Botanical Charts; Nature Preserves The collections of the Randolph College Biology Department contain hundreds of zoological specimens including birds, mammals, fishes, reptiles, insects, marine invertebrates, and fossils. The collections also boast an excellent herbarium containing thousands of specimens of plants indigenous or introduced to the eastern United States, specifically Central Virginia. A final feature is the large geology collection, featuring thousands of rock and mineral samples from around the world. The core collection dates at least back to 1895, with geological specimens accrued by Fernando Wood Martin, chair of the department of Physics and Biology at what was then Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. The zoological collections can be dated at least to 1913, when professor John Irvin Hamaker featured images of some of these specimens in his textbook Principles of Biology. Other specimens have been added at various times throughout the history of the college, and continue to be added by students and interested donors today. Some of these specimens were derived from other important collections including the Boucard Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Zoological Park.
