102 PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 



We shall be glad to receive any other objects of natural history of 

 which you have duplicates to spare. Skins of birds, (&c., botanical 

 specimens, fossils, and minerals will be acceptable ; also, relics of our 

 Indian tribes. We have a good collection of Indian antiquities 

 mainly derived from the ancient seats of the Iroquois, and we should 

 like to improve our collection by adding specimens from the western 

 Indians. 



Yours, respectfully, &c., 



0. ROOT. 



Prof. Joseph Henry. 



Ottawa, Canada, 3Iarcli 10, 1862. 



My Dear Sir : I have to-day received your valuable donation of 

 books, for which I beg to return my most sincere thanks both to you 

 and also to the Institution you so ably represent. They are, indeed, 

 a most valuable addition to my small stock, and are all the more so 

 from the fact that they were totally unexpected. 



A great debt of gratitude is due by the world at large to the 

 munificent founder as well as to the enlightened gentlemen that con- 

 trol the Smithsonian Institution, for the great service rendered to the 

 cause of science by the distribution of such works as those you sent 

 me. How many thousands are there who, although they have an 

 earnest desire for scientific and useful knowledge, are, for the want 

 of such works as these, unable to obtain it? As one of these allow 

 me again to tender my most grateful thanks for your kindness. 

 Believe me, dear sir. yours, respectfully, 



J. ARTHUR CODD. 



Prof. Joseph Henry, 



Smithsonian Institution, Wasldncjton. 



New Haven, Blarcli 27, 1862. 



My Dear Sir : I have only time to make a few suggestions in ref- 

 erence to your letter. 



It is very diflicult to make out a list of mineral species at present. 

 The most trustworthy authorities on the subject are Haideujer, 

 Kennjott, and Rammelsber'g. 



I think that the names, consisting of a single word, should be 

 adopted. Where this was bestowed by the discoverer (author) of the 

 species, I think his name should follow in small capitals; but in italics 

 only, provided he merely changed the name from a chemical one, or 

 a long, inconvenient compound designation, to a single one. 



The well-settled species miglit be given in rather large capitals; 

 those which are less settled, but at the same time probable, in smaller 

 capitals, while the rest may appear in small type. 



I object to the plan of pasting printed or even written names on 

 specimens. It is nowhere followed in the great collections abroad. 

 It might answer in the case of large rock specimens and fossils, but 

 all mineralogists would exclaim against it upon choice specimens, 

 many of which, as the single crystals, would be concealed by the 



