REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY. 
By GerorcEe P. Merritt, Head Curator. 
Considered with reference only to the work actually accomplished 
along lines of investigation, the year ending June 30, 1921, has, with 
the possible execption of the year immediately preceding, been one 
unprecedented in the history of the department. 
Accessions——A marked increase in the number of accessions is 
shown over those recorded in any one of the past 15 years. The total 
number listed is 231, a gain of 51 over last year, and of 29 over the 
recorded number in 1914-15, next highest on the list. Of the acquisi- 
tions of the present year, 151 were received as gifts, 39 as exchanges, 
24 as transfers from other departments of the Government, chiefly 
the Geological Survey, 5 were acquired by purchase, and 5 as deposits 
or loans. A considerable quantity of the gift and transfer material 
will, doubtless, on examination prove to be duplicate or undesirable, 
what proportion it is yet too early to state, but apparently the total 
value is well up to the average. The additions to the geological, 
mineralogical, and petrological collections number 1,772 individual 
specimens and 140 boxes and trays, only a few of which have as yet 
been unpacked and assorted, but which it is estimated will yield a 
total of not less than 20,000 specimens, while upward of 50,000 speci- 
mens have been added to the paleontological collections. 
The largest contributor to the division of geology was as usual 
the Geological Survey, whence were transferred 1381 boxes and 7 
trays of material, much of it being described sets of rocks and ores. 
From this source also were received 5 specimens of the platinum- 
bearing covellite from the Rambler Mine, Wyo.; the type set of 
specimens from the R and S molybdeum mine, N. Mex., described 
by E. S. Larsen and C. S. Ross; and a small collection of carnotite 
minerals and associated ores from Routt County, Colo., collected 
and reported on by Hoyt S. Gale. 
Accessions of materials from South America have been especially 
important. Through the courtesy of the Guggenheim interests, 
Custodian Frank L. Hess was enabled to add a large series illustra- 
tive of the Bolivian tin and tungsten ores, and through Messrs L. L. 
Ellis and Don Stewart, of Oruro, Bolivia, and Prof. Joseph T. 
Singewald, of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, to secure other 
examples of like nature. From Mr. Tomas A. Le Breton, am- 
81 
