REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 





lections, including a series of 300 specimens of typical European rocks i 

 and minerals obtained in 1864 from Louis Saeman in Paris ; a similar I 

 series of 148 specimens received from the Royal Mining School of Frei- 

 berg, Saxony ; another small series collected by H. Engleman in Mon- j 

 tana, and still others collected by Dr. B. Powell from the vicinity of j 

 Hot Springs, Arkansas, by D. D. Owen in Wisconsin and Minnesota, 

 and other miscellaneous materials from scattering localities.* 



The Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876 afforded Professor ! 

 Baird the desired opportunity for procuring a large amount of material 

 illustrating the mineral resources of the United States, and laying the j 

 foundation for the department of geology as it now exists. After the 

 close of the exposition this material, prepared under the immediate 

 supervision of Prof. W. P. Blake, together with the extensive collec- 

 tions donated by foreign governments, was stored in boxes for several 

 years, awaiting the completion of the new building. This was finally 

 effected in the summer of 1881, and, with the appointment of Dr. George 

 W. Hawes as curator the year previous, may properly be said to begin 

 the history of the geological department of the National Museum. 



At the time Dr. Hawes entered upon his duties as curator he also 

 assumed charge of that branch of the Tenth Census relating to the 

 quarrying industry of the United States. To this work he gave almost 

 his entire attention, and the present collection of building and orna- 

 mental stones is largely the outgrowth of his exertions in this direction. 

 Dr„ Hawes's connection with the Museum was, however, too short to 

 allow the department to become fully organized, and at the time of his 

 death t matters were still in a state of great confusion, owing to the 

 large amount of material that had accumulated and the extent of the 

 work undertaken, but necessarily uncompleted. The extensive collec- 

 tions received from Philadelphia at the close of the Centennial Exhibi- 

 tion in 1876, above referred to, were still unpacked and unassorted, 

 as were also those received from the various United States geological 

 surveys that existed prior to the present organization. 



* Prior to 1873 there were no paid, assistants whose duty it was to look after these 

 collections, and it is fair to assume they suffered accordingly. Up to this time it had 

 heen the custom to send all duplicate materials to Professors Newherry and Eglestou 

 at Columbia College, New York City, where they were made up into sets for distri- 

 bution to various institutions. Some '22,000 specimens are reported as having been 

 sent out in this way. Iu 1873 Mr. F. P. Endlich was appointed assistant in charge 

 of the mineralogieal collections, and continued to serve until 1879. Up to the close 

 of 1879 the total number of duplicate specimens sent out was as follows: 



Specimens. 



Fossils 10,518 



Minerals and rocks 21, 407 



Packages of infusorial earth 1,928 



33, 853 

 t Dr. Hawes died at Denver, Colorado, June 22, 1882. 



