2 WILLCOX : 



exhibition of specimens illustrating the character of the dif- 

 ferent species. 



As no specimens of minerals are available for exhibition, 

 at the present time, except a few of those which are utilized 

 for ornamental purposes, the time this morning will be partly 

 occupied in discussing the composition and other character- 

 istics of such minerals. 



It ma}^ be pertinent to state now that, in the opinion of 

 the present writer, it would be desirable to include, as a part 

 of the education of young ladies the study of mineralogy, at 

 least to a limited extent, in order that they may appreciate 

 more fully the composition and other characteristics of the 

 many minerals used for ornamental purposes, including the 

 knowledge of the rocks in which they occur, and the different 

 localities where they are found. 



The following comprises the list of specimens that \'our 

 president has been able to supply to me as aids in illustrating 

 some of the minerals referred to in this paper, and which are 

 now on the table before you : — 



A quartz pebble from the conglomerate rock in this vici- 

 nity, a brickbat fragment not native to this vicinity, a speci- 

 men of obsidian ( an eruptive rock ) from the Yellowstone 

 National Park and a piece of geyserite from the same place, 

 two specimens of granite and a green apple. 



The old Devonian rocks around us here are barren in 

 mineral specimens, and the soils in this vicinity consist merely 

 of the glacial sweepings from the country further north of us. 



Although the number of known minerals exceeds one 

 thousand, prol)al)ly more than nine-tenths of the ])ulk of the 

 earth's solid crust consists of less than a dozen species of 

 them, which may be enumerated as quartz, and the several 

 varieties of feldspar, mica and hornblende. 



In dealing with the subject under consideration, it is pro- 

 posed to commence with the most simple ft)rms, termed 

 elements. 



It is a custom to mention tlie word elt-nu-nt as representing 



