356 REPORT OF NATIONAL MU&EUM, 1891. 



limestone, with mines of gold, copper, lead, and coal, besides containing one of the 

 largest active volcanoes of the East Indies, and many extinct craters, boiling 

 springs, etc. 



15. Sooloo Sea, a region of numberless extinct craters or volcanic mountains and 

 abounding in coral reefs. 



16. Singapore. 



17. Cape of Good Hope. 



18. St. Helena. 



19. Cape Verde. 



20. Island of Madeira, mostly consisting of basaltic rocks, tufas, or lavas, and re- 

 markable for the grandeur of its mountain scenery and the richness of its vegeta- 

 tion. 



21. The Sontli Shetlands, which afford large masses of sal ammoniac. 



22. Rocks and eai'th from the Antarctic land, taken from icebergs in its vicinity — 

 principally granite, basalt, and a red, compact, quartz rock or sandstone. 



To these should be added the collection from numerous coral islands, which include 

 not only specimens of dead coral rock, the material of the islands, but also various 

 living corals now growing about their shores. We leave corals for the present, as 

 they require separate remark. 



The above will give some idea of the interest that attaches to the expedition 

 collection. 



Besides the three cases in the hall, to which 1 have alluded, two others are all 

 that, with due regard to the other departments, can be set apart for the sciences of 

 geology and mineralogy. There are already large collections of minerals waiting to 

 be arranged, to which Col. Tottenhas generously added his entire cabinet. The col- 

 lection which accompanied the Smithsonian bequest has been often noticed, and we 

 pass it by without further remark at present than to testify to the beauty aud inter- 

 est of its specimens. In addition, there are twenty-seven boxes from the Iowa ter- 

 ritory, inclosing specimens from the lead and copper mines, and others elucidating 

 its general geological structure, collected by the able geologist of that region, Mr. D. 

 D. Owen. A line suite of Ohio fossils has been received from Mr.Locke, of Cincin- 

 nati, comprising numerous species of trilobites. A rare collection of bones of mam- 

 moth size, the remains of a megatherium, an extinct animal, was lately obtained at 

 Skiddaway Isle, Georgia, and by the liberty of Dr. S — , of Savannah, are now in the 

 hall. Other packages have been received from M. C. Buck, Wm. A. Irvin, Robert 

 Brown, Capt. K. Latimore, D. A. Buckley, of .Jacksonville, 111.; Fr. Marcoe, jr., of 

 Washington; J. M. Allen, of Albany ; M. Stony, of Vermont; Martin Johnson, Mr. 

 Ziegler, Joseph Willett, of Maryland; J. I. Greenough, Prof. U. Parsons, Mr. Mecklin, 

 of Maryland ; G. R. Gliddon, consul iu Egypt ; W. L. Ames, of New Jersey ; Dr. J. H. 

 Caustin, C.D.Barton, of New York City; Wm. M. Mitchell, of Virginia; Dr. Lewis 

 Sayinsch, and O. Root, esq., of Syracuse, N. Y. Specimens are constantly arriving, 

 and now, after the late circulars issued by the several departments of Government 

 to our military and naval officers and consuls, they may be expected in still greater 

 numbers. 



After arranging the expedition specimens, there will be one case and a part of 

 another for all the mineral collection, the Iowa geological specimens, and the many 

 others in our possession. With the exception of the minerals, for which there is 

 scant room, the whole must remain closed. 



The importance of these sciences, and the interest of the country iu its mineral 

 resources, make it desirable that some plan like the following should be adopted, 

 and as soon as may be carried into execution: There should be a complete collection 

 of minerals, systematically arranged, comprising specimens from all countries, and 

 illustrating fully every branch of the scieuce. For geology, in the collections of 

 which are included rock specimens, fossils, soils, aud whatever may illustrate the 

 formation of our globe, the changes in its progress, its i»resent condition, aud min- 



