198 ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



On the 28th of March, 1910, in a pegmatite vein at Marambaya, a 

 village in the vicinity of Arassuahy, on the Jequititonha River, in the 

 State of Minas Geraes, Brazil, there was found a crystal of beryl, the 

 greatest crystal of precious beryl (aquamarine) ever found. In form, it 

 was a simple hexagonal pyramid with slight irregularities due to com- 

 pression, and it terminated with a simple basal plane at both ends. 

 The crystal weighed 110.5 kilograms, was 48.5 centimeters high and 

 from 40 to 42 centimeters in its different widths. It was so transparent 

 that, looking down into the crystal through its basal termination, it 

 could be seen through from end to end. In color, it was greenish-blue, 

 absolutely free from included impurities, but it was traversed by a 

 number of fractures. 



This crystal was found by a Turk, who mined it in what is known as 

 a primitive mine, at a depth of from five to six meters, and only with the 

 greatest difficulty was it transported on a canoe to the coast, by way of 

 the Jequititonha Eiver and then shipped to Bahia, where it is said that 

 he realized $25,000 for it. It is estimated that this crystal would furnish 

 at least 200,000 carats of aquamarines of various sizes, although the 

 entire quantity is not likely to glut the market as it does not represent 

 over 5 per cent, of the annual yield. It is not of the deepest blue nor 

 of the deepest green, yet it is an excellent sea color; the quality is ex- 

 cellent, and more material will be furnished than from any single crystal 

 of any gem that we have any record of. When values become so great 

 and buyers so few, commercialism usually asserts itself. In this instance, 

 it is believed that a net profit of $100,000 will be realized. 



Professor Grabau gave an elaborate classification of lake basins with 

 the aid of a chart prepared for this purpose. 



The Section then adjourned. 



Charles P. Berkey, 



Secretary. 



SECTION OF BIOLOGY. 

 10 April, 1911. 



Section met at 8 :15 p. m., Vice-President Frederic A. Lucas presiding. 



The minutes of the last meeting of the Section were read and ap- 

 proved. 



The following programme was then offered : 

 Roy C. Andrews, A New and Peculiar Porpoise from Japan. 

 J. T. Nichols, Observations on Birds and Fishes Made on an 



Expedition to Florida Waters. 



