Gem collection. 275 



centiuy, and was recently deposited in the Museum by Mr. G. Brown 

 Goode, the Assistant Secretary. 



One of tlie finest specimens of its kind iiitlie United States is a mag- 

 nificent by 4: slab of himaclielle ("fire -marble") of fossil origin, in 

 ^vhich the color of tbe original shells is so deepened and intensified that 

 it rivals the finest fire opal. This comes from the old, exhausted local- 

 ity of Carinthia, Austro-Huugary. Of alabaster, we have white, yellow, 

 and cinnamon-gray slabs ; of fossil coral, a fine slab from Iowa City. 

 The oolite limestone from Bristol, England, is curious j the surface is 

 highly polished, presenting a white field flecked with dark red. Beads 

 of gypsum satin spar and a 3-inch egg of the same material are from 

 Bridgeford, England. A wavj^ slab of polished light-brown barite. 

 Laving its surface variegated with dark-brown spots, from Derbyshire, 

 England, is rather interesting. A slab of jet from England, one from 

 Germany, and another from Colorado are exhibited near two handsome 

 carvings in cannel coal from Sim^ison's coal and lead mine in Missouri. 

 One of these last represents a scene in a coal mine, and the other a bou- 

 quet of flowers. A cannon 12 inches long, mounted on truncheons, and 

 an egg-shaped paper-weight, both made of the travertine of Gibraltar, 

 and a small light-green slab of polished stalagmite from Baird, Cal., 

 are among recent additions, as are ten rough, perforated garnets from 

 an ancient grave in Bohemia, and a silver bar-pin, set with bloodstones 

 and agates, the last the gift of Messrs. Harris and Shafer, of Washing- 

 ton. 



The collection ends with an 8 by 3 slab of catlinite (Indian pipe-stone) 

 and a large Indian pipe of the same material, from ('oteau du Prairie, 

 Pipestone County, Minn. The head delineated on the slab was carved 

 by a Washington sculptor, and came into the Museum with the Abert 

 collection, which was given to the Museum. 



