60 EEPOET OP NATIONAL MUSEUM^ 1915, 



phenacite and a fine exhibition specimen of the rare mineral tar- 

 buttite; and Mr. Frederick A. Canfield, of Dover, N. J., a sample 

 of the rare mineral roepperite, from Sterling Hill, N. J. Through 

 the influence of Mr. Victor C. Heikes, of the Geological Survey, some 

 interesting pseudomorphs from the Blue Jay Copper Mine and schee- 

 lite crystals from the Wilson Bismuth Mine, Utah, were presented 

 by Mr. Harvey Hardy, of Goodsprings, Nev., and Mr. Frank Wilson, 

 of Salt Lake City, Utah. From Dr. William S. Disbrow, of Newark, 

 N. J., were obtained, by gift and m exchange, 10 fine exhibition speci- 

 mens of minerals from northern New Jersey, and an exceptional lot 

 of large rhodonites from Franklin Furnace in the same State, which 

 are of especial value inasmuch as the locality is no longer accessible 

 to collectors. 



The accessions in petrology consisted, as usual, largely of studied 

 material representing folio series, transferred by the Geological 

 Survey. They included minerals and ores from the San Francisco 

 and adjacent districts, Utah; rocks illustrating the geology of the 

 Engineer Mountain and Ouray quadrangles, Colo.; rocks with thin 

 sections from the National district, Nev.; rocks and ores from the 

 Dillon quadrangle, Mont. ; rocks and ores from the Jarbridge and 

 Contact mining districts, Nev. ; and rocks and ores, with thin sections, 

 from the Hardscrabble mining district, Colo. Type collections from 

 the following districts were also deposited, namely. White Mesa and 

 Bently, Ariz.; Hayden Hill, Winters and High Grade, Cal. ; and 

 Miners Basin and Wilson Mesa, Utah. 



Mention should also be made of an interesting series of obsidians 

 from Iceland, presented by Dr. F. E. Wright, of the Geophysical 

 Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, illustrating 

 his studies on the origin of spherulitic structure. The material is of 

 further value as throwing some possible light on the origin of the 

 peculiar obsidianites from South Australia. 



The collections illustrating the radio-active minerals, noted in 

 the last report, were rearranged and many labels added, and several 

 new exhibits were also installed. The type and described specimens 

 in the collection, such as are not desired for exhibition, were brought 

 together in the laboratory of the assistant curator, where they will 

 be more readily accessible for reference. A card catalogue of this 

 type material has been prepared. The duplicate minerals stored in 

 the attic were overhauled and arranged alphabetically in a manner 

 to permit of locating any species without delay. 



The assistant curator of mineralogy. Dr. Edgar T. Wherry, de- 

 voted some time to a detailed investigation of the oolitic structures 

 as represented in material from Bethlehem, Pa., and also to a study 

 of the possibilities of the microspectroscope in determinative min- 

 eralogy. These have been made the subjects of i^aiDers, one of which 



