APPENDIX B. 



PRELIMINARY HANDBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY IN THE 



U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



By George P. Merrill, Curator. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



The history of the National Museum may be said to date from the 

 year 1840, when, by act of Congress, the custody of the "National 

 Cabinet of Curiosities" at that time deposited in the Patent Office 

 Building- was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution. This act pro- 

 vided that "all objects of art and foreigu and curious research, and 

 all objects of natural history, plants, and geological and mineralogical 

 specimens belonging or hereafter to belong to the United States," and 

 which were then in the city of Washington, should be delivered to the 

 Eegents of the Smithsonian Institution, and together with new speci- 

 mens obtained by exchange, donation, or otherwise, should be so ar- 

 ranged and classified as best to facilitate their examination and study. 

 By a subsequent act* the National Museum became the authorized 

 place of deposit for all objects of natural history, mineralogy, geology, 

 archaeology, ethnology, etc., belonging to the United States or collected 

 by the Coast and Interior Survey, the Geological Survey, or by any 

 other parties for the Government of the United States when no longer 

 needed for investigations in progress.f 



The amount of geological material which was thus brought together 

 prior to 1876 was small and extremely varied. It consisted mainly of 

 the collections made by Prof. J. D. Dana and his associates during 

 the Wilkes Exploring Expedition in 1838-'42; by Professors Newberry 

 ami Blake during the Pacific Railroads surveys in 1854-'55 ; by the 

 surveys west of the one hundredth meridian under the direction of the 

 Engineer Corps of the Army, and theU. S. Geological Survey under 

 direction of Dr. F. V. Hay den. There were, besides, various small col- 



* Passed in 18.">7. 



t The organization and objects of the National Museum, Proc, II. S. National 

 Museum, 1881. 



1 



