The United States National Museum 351 



"The collections of the exploring expeditions and the col- 

 lection of grasses are especially rich in type-specimens. 



" Mention should be made of the collections of George 

 Joad, comprising about ten thousand species of representa- 

 tive plants of the globe, more especially those of Europe ; and 

 the collection of Professor Lester F. Ward, comprising the 

 specimens on which his " Flora of Washington and Vicinity " 

 is based, in addition to important collections made by Profes- 

 sor Ward and his correspondents in other parts of the United 

 States. Both the Ward and the Joad collections were ac- 

 quired by the museum in 1885." 



The important collections of the Department of Minerals 

 are summarized by Mr. Wirt Tassin, Assistant Curator, as 

 follows : 



" At the request of Professor F. W. Clarke, the Honorary 

 Curator, I have prepared, and transmit herewith, a list of some 

 of the most important collections and single objects in the Min- 

 eral Department. They are: 



" The Isaac Lea collections, including a collection of min- 

 erals, a collection of micas and quartzes, and a collection of 

 gems and ornamental stones, among which may be noted as 

 of especial interest a fine green tourmaline of fifty-seven car- 

 ats, a red specimen of eighteen carats and a hair-brown one 

 of sixteen carats, from Mount Mica, Paris, Maine. A doubly 

 terminated emerald crystal from Stony Point, Alexander 

 County, North Carolina, one of the largest ever found, meas- 

 uring three and one-tenth by two inches and weighing eight 

 ounces and three pennyweights. A crystal ball cut from 

 North Carolina quartz. A silver nugget weighing four hun- 

 dred and forty-eight ounces, from near Globe, Arizona. One 

 of the largest known cut Ceylon essonites. Four large Cey- 

 lon asteria. A fine suite of opals in argillaceous limonite, 

 Baracoo river, Queensland. 



" The Leidy collection of minerals, received from the United 

 States Geological Survey. 



" A series illustratingf the occurrence and associations of 



