EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1022. 83 



Work of preserving and installing the collections. — With the ex- 

 ception of cleaning a portion of the cases and correcting the labeling 

 of some of the specimens, very little has been clone on the exhibition 

 collections in economic geology. One small case was installed in 

 order to place on exhibition a large carnotite in sandstone, an Ameri- 

 can hewettite, and a iiranophane-bearing sandstone, and a second 

 case was provided in which are large specimens of molybdenum ore 

 from Climax, Colo., and of ilsemannite-bearing sandstone, together 

 with smaller motybdennm ores, including part of the type materials 

 from the R. and S. molj^bdenum mine. Several large slabs of build- 

 ing stones have been placed on the wall panels, as well as three pho- 

 tographs picturing quarry localities. 



The exhibits in physical geology have been given personal atten- 

 tion by the head curator with a view to perfecting the labeling and 

 card catalogues and making such rearrangement as seemed necessary. 

 He also personally reinstalled in a new and larger case the collection 

 illustrating the meteoric irons and associations from Meteor Crater, 

 near Canon Diablo, Ariz. This has been on exhibition for several 

 years, but as now shown is much more attractive and instructive. 

 A new exhibit illustrating phenomena connected with the recent 

 eruptions of Lassen Peak, Calif., has been added to the series illus- 

 trative of volcanics. 



Much has been accomplished in i\\^ division in the way of assort- 

 ing the collections turned over by the United States Geological 

 Survey and the accumulations of past j^ears. A systematic attempt 

 is being made to weed out and distribute duplicate materials and 

 dispose of that which is waste. The most important single item has 

 been the jRnal installation of the Yellowstone Park collection, de- 

 scribed by Hague and Iddings and comprising over 2,000 specimens. 

 In the course of unpacking boxes received from the United States 

 Geological Survey, a number of sets, supposedly the specimens upon 

 which various survey reports are based, have been discovered. The 

 authors of the reports having, in many cases, left the Government 

 service, Mr. Shannon, assisted where possible by members of the 

 survey staff, has selected such materials as seemed representatiA'e 

 and filed them away as type sets. Among these may be mentioned 

 the ores from Georgetown, Colo,, and Butte and Elkhorn, Mont., 

 districts. In more detail Mr. Shannon has examined the collections 

 from the Idaho mining districts, including specimens illustrating 

 published bulletins by Messers. Umpleby, Jones, Livingston, and 

 Laney. This work is being done in unusual detail, as it serves the 

 double purpose of properly preserving the sets for reference and 

 contributes valuable data for incorporation in Mr. Shannon's paper 

 on the minerals of Idaho, which is being revised and enlarged for 

 publication. 



