44 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



rather than to gather a few specimens selected at random, as is usually 

 done. In following the plan, specimens were taken to represent sections . 

 across and up and down the vein, and to show an average of the product 

 of the vein, while to these were added the walls and other interesting 

 material. In representing the extraction and utilization of the metals, 

 the plan adopted was to begin with the ore as it leaves the mine, and to 

 follow it through the various steps in all the operations to the production 

 of the finished article, showing, when i)ossible, every material entering into 

 each operation, as well as every product of each operation. In the case of 

 coal, the collections were based largely on the ethnological aspects of the 

 question, and thus included many specimens aside from those of an eco- 

 nomic or geological value. Throughout the new collections of the depart- 

 ment special attention has been paid to gathering as full and complete a de- 

 scription of everything shown as possible, while the pictorial side of the 

 question has been treated very elaborately and includes some views of the 

 interior of a coal mine taken by electric light, the first views of the kind 

 ever produced. These collections form a basis for a full and comj^lete rep- 

 resentation of the mineral resources of the country, and it is hoped that 

 they will increase until they shall have attained their highest educa- 

 tional value. They have been fully described in Museum Circular No. 

 31. The regular force of the department having been redbced to a 

 scientific assistant and a laborer, the work of preparing the collections 

 in the Museum has been at a comparative stand-still during the first 

 half of the year. The laboratory of this dei)artment has been moved to 

 the second floor of the southwest pavilion, and the work-room on the 

 floor of the Museum has been cleaned out aiul space prepared for ex- 

 hibition purposes, so that now the entire workof preparing material for 

 exhibition has been concentrated into one place. The work of investi- 

 gating the New Orleans material has been carried on as far as practi- 

 cable, and, with the assistance of Mr. Allen, a number of very valuable 

 analyses have been made. A large number of accessions have been re- 

 ceived, among which may be specially mentioned a collection from the 

 Argo works, presented by Hon. N. P. Hill, a series donated by the 

 Copper Queen Company, and a series of ai)atite from many localities, 

 I)resented by Pickford & Winkfield, of London, England. In the middle 

 of May the curator returned to New Orleans to pack up the collection 

 and to solicit contributions for increasing the value of the permanent 

 collections. No attempt was made to obtain large, entire collections 

 without regard to their value to the Museum, requests being made 

 for material of only two classes, i. e., that of intrinsic value, and such 

 as would till gaps in our permanent collections. This effort was so 

 successful that uuich very valuable material was obtained and some 

 of the most important gaps were filled. Among the former should 

 be especially noticed the important and interesting collection received 

 from Mexico, and among the latter the valuable series of iron ores from 

 the Menominee region in Michigan. After the return of the curator to 



