336 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP [1884. 



REPORT OF THE CURATOR OF THE WILLIAM S. 

 VAUX COLLECTIONS. 



The Curator of the William S. Vaux collections respectfully 

 reports to the Council of the Academy of Natural Sciences : — 



The arrangement and labeling of the minerals are now com- 

 plete, each of the groups having labels indicating the chemical 

 properties, the proportions in which the elements combine, the 

 degree of hardness and specific gravity of each of the species. 

 They are arranged in thirty-six horizontal and five upright cases. 

 One of the upright cases has been made use of for the purpose of 

 illustrating the six systems of crystallography — the forms of 

 crystallization and the structure of crj'stals being demonstrated 

 by typical specimens of minerals belonging to each system, and 

 by six glass models, having the axial lines represented by threads 

 of different color. In this case will also be found minerals repre- 

 senting the relative degrees of hardness. 



The Archgeological collection has been entirely rearranged. 

 All implements, such as axes, celts, chisels, gouges, arrow-heads, 

 pipes, pottery, etc., belonging to the same locality, being 

 placed together. This method was suggested by Professor 

 Putnam, o"f Cambridge, and Professor Brinton, of our own 

 Academy, and is thought to have advantages for ethnological 

 study. By this method the McBride collection (which is con- 

 sidered of undoubted authenticity), has been placed in the Ohio 

 group. 



The localities represented are Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, 

 Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecti- 

 cut, Maine, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Geoi'gia, Florida, 

 Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, 

 California, and the Pacific Coast, together with Mexico, Costa 

 Rica, Peru, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden. There are also 

 a few Roman,, Carthagenian and Egyptian specimens. They 

 number in all 2940 pieces. 



An alphabetical catalogue of the mineral collection has been 

 made, indicating the page and number in Dana, and the case con- 

 taining the particular specimen. 



In m}'^ report of November, 1883, the number of minerals was 

 counted by trays, notwithstanding many of them contained more 

 than one specimen. I am informed that this is not the practice 



