ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 35 



Among the first donors of minerals were Dr. Troost, Mr. Isaac 

 Lea, Dr. Hays, and Mr. S. Hazard. Mr. Wm. Maclure pre- 

 sented large and valuable collections ; and Mr. H. Seybert, 

 Joseph P. Smith, and Dr. Thomas M'Euen, contributed largely 

 to this department. The contributors to the mineralogical cabi- 

 net since its commencement have been very numerous. Besides 

 those named, the most conspicuous are Mr. J. P. Wetherill, Dr. 

 Burrough, T. Nuttall, Dr. Blanding, Dr. Morton, Dr. Griffith, 

 Mr. R. C. Taylor, Baron Struve, Dr. Carson, Mr. W. S. Vaux, 

 Mr. S. Ashmead, Mr. T. F. Moss, Mr. Thomas Fisher, Dr. Cas- 

 sarnova, Mr. Isaac L. Chipman, Dr. Bent, Dr. Goddard, and 

 Dr. George B. M'Clellan. 



Dr. T. B. Wilson, in the course of the past five or six years, 

 presented 1,760 specimens, mostly European, many of which are 

 rare. Amongst them are fine suites of carbonate of iron, tin, 

 blende, galena, &c., and an extensive variety of forms of fluor 

 and calcareous spars from Cumberland and Durham, England ; 

 and many fine specimens from Germany, Hungary, and Transyl- 

 vania. Among the gems is a fine suite of native crystals of 

 diamond from Brazil. 



Dr. Heerman has presented a series of valuable specimens of 

 native gold from California; and we are indebted to the late Dr. 

 George B. M'Clellan for fine specimens of the same mineral from 

 Virginia. 



Mr. W. S. Vaux presented an extraordinarily large crystal of 

 beryl, from Ackworth, New Hampshire ; it measures 3 feet 3 

 inches in circumference, and weighs 185 Ibs. 



Mr. Boucier, of Lyons, presented an admirable series of crys- 

 tals of green and blue carbonate of copper, and of red oxide of 

 copper, of every variety of form. 



Though the cabinet is comparatively rich in foreign, it is very 

 deficient in American minerals. From the vast number of dona- 

 tions 4,152 specimens have been selected, labelled, and arranged 

 by Messrs. Vaux, Ashmead, and Gambel, who have been for 

 several years devoted to this department of the Museum. 



It is believed that, notwithstanding the care of the various 

 gentlemen who have had charge of this department, from time to 

 time, it has suffered losses in the various transportations and 

 changes of location to which the Museum has been subject. 



