' NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS 25 



The meteorite collection, including the Sliepard and museum 

 collections, now contains several hundred specimens represent- 

 ing 336 falls. As in the other series, the collections are preceded 

 by introductory labels, on which are noted the more prominent 

 physical and chemical characters of meteorites, together with 

 the classification here adopted. The arrangement of the two 

 collections is somewhat different, that of the museum being 

 geographic, while the Shepard collection is chronologic. 



The gem collection now compares favorably with any other 

 public collection of this kind in the country, both in number and 

 kinds of stones exhibited. It is specially rich in those gems and 

 ornamental stones which occur in the United States. 



The study series includes material appealing exclusively to 

 the specialist and is the source from which new^ exhibition series 

 may be built, or old ones strengthened. It contains all that 

 material which has been the source of investigation, or may 

 be made the subject of research; together with those specimens, 

 illustrating the occurrence and associations of a mineral in any 

 one locality, that are not needed in the exhibition series, or 

 which are not unnecessary duplications of the material already 

 on hand. It also contains all original or type material belong- 

 ing to the department. This is brought together in a case of 

 drawers reserved for that purpose, and all type or original speci- 

 mens which are not needed to complete the exhibition series are 

 placed here together with a copy or abstract of the original 

 papers, and a bibliography of publication in which the work has 

 appeared. Those types used in the exhibition series are here 

 indicated by cards giving their exact position in the cases. 



The duplicate series includes all material not needed for the 

 exhibition or study series, and from it all exchanges, gifts, etc., 

 are made up. 



Historic and economic geology and IWwhgij. Four distinct series 

 of specimens: exhibition series, 23,097 specimens; study series, 

 28,911; microscopic slides, 4700; duplicate series, 77,863 of all 

 kinds. 



