THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



The Museum has had occasion recently to ascertain the size 

 attained by the horn of the narwhal. The largest of the speci- 

 mens in its possession is eight feet two inches in length and 

 weighs fourteen pounds. We should be glad to learn the size of 

 specimens held by other museums. 



There have been added to the collections of the Department 

 of Mineralogy more than 800 specimens of the minerals which 

 occiir in the trap rocks of New Jersey. These were collected 

 from the rock taken from the Weehawken Tunnel, and were 

 presented to the Museum by Mr. George W. Talson. The series 

 consists of specimens of calcite, datolite and several zeolites. An 

 exhibition series has been selected from the lot and the remainder 

 is available for the exchange and school suites. 



A STRIKING specimen of quartz from Alexander County, 

 North Carolina, is the gift of the American Gem Company 

 through Mr. Lucien Zell. The specimen is a composite crystal 

 consisting of parallel growths of smaller crystals made up of the 

 prism and the pyramid. Many of the component small crystals 

 stand out in high relief. The specimen is about 20 inches across. 



Through exchange the mineral collection has been enriched 

 by a beautiful group of chalcedonized turritellas, and a specimen 

 of the cylindrical beryl from Orijarvi, Finland, showing about 

 18 faces. Other noteworthy additions to the cases are the 

 largest apophyllite which has been found at West Paterson, New 

 Jersey, and a rare specimen of paramelaconite, from Bisbee, 

 Arizona. 



Some of the specimens in the collection of shells have been 

 made the subject of an interesting investigation by Messrs. Cole- 

 man and Handich, who have been studying the mathematical 

 nature of the spirals of shells. 



The Department of Geology has recently placed on ex- 

 hibition a series of fossil corals and shells from the Falls of the 

 Ohio, and other localities in Indiana; also a fine lot of crinoids 

 from the noted beds at Crawfordsville, Ind. (see case N), and a 



29 



