The history of paleontology is full of legends. Just as fossils themselves have inspired myths and tall-tales – something which geohistorians such as Adrienne Mayor have done much to elucidate – the romantic image of 19th century naturalists excavating the virtually untapped paleontological riches of the west has generated a fair number of favorite stories and apocryphal anecdotes. One such story involves the nickname of one of the most important geologists and paleontologists of the era – the celebrated American explorer Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden.

Like many other 19th century naturalists, the image and legacy of the older Hayden overshadows the activities of his younger self. Hayden is most celebrated for his explorations of the Rocky Mountains and what would become