JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 187 



The following letter is given as an illustration of a number of a 

 similar character received relative to the distribution of speci- 

 mens : 



Hamilton College, N. Y., February 1, 1862. 



Dear Sir : I presume the president of our college has officially acknowledged the 

 receipt of the box of shells sent us last month from the Smithsonian Institution. We 

 consider this donation a valuable addition to our collection, and our local papers have 

 given very favorable notices of it. When we arrange the shells in our cabinet we 

 intend to bave printed on each ticket " From the Smithsonian Institution." 



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, 



O. BOOT. 

 Prof. Joseph Henry. 



Ottawa, Canada, March 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 control 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 ear- 

 nest 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 grate- 

 ful thanks for your kindness. 



Believe me, dear sir, yours respectfully, 



J. ARTHUR CODD. 

 Prof. Joseph Henry, 



Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 



New Haven, March 27, 1862. 



My Dear Sir : I have only time to make a few suggestions in reference to your 

 letter. 



It is very difficult to make out a list of mineral species at present. The most trust- 

 worthy authorities on the subject are Haidenjer, Kennjott, and Rammelsberg. 



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 might 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 

 application. Indeed they very rarely use printed names at all, but instead employ 

 elegantly written cards, each label costing about 12 or 15 cents. It would certainly 

 .confer an advantage upon our public cabinets if you would strike off sets of labels of 

 all the important species upon thick card-paper, which might, as required, have the 

 localities inserted with the pen. This would give uniformity to our museums, and 

 prove extremely useful. 



I would suggest that before distributing your duplicates, you retain them for six 

 months in order to permit exchanges for things needed by your collection ; such 

 exchanges to be made at Washington. Afterwards the duplicates should be given to 

 each of the States. 



