REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF METALLURGY AND ECONOMIC 

 GEOLOGY IN THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



By F. P. Dewey, Curator. 



Early in the year it was decided to make some changes in the exhi- 

 bition space of the department. Instead of dividing the exhibits be- 

 tween a range, a part of a hall, and a part of the southwest court, the 

 whole of the southwest court was assigned to the department. 



The entire energy of the department for the whole year has been de- 

 voted to work incident to this change. 



The opportunity was taken to completely reorganize the geographi- 

 cal series of ores, and to make some changes in the systematic collec- 

 tions in economic geology and metallurgy. The latter collections are 

 now in shape again for exhibition, and as soon as a portion of the 

 geographical series is arranged, about one-half of the exhibition space 

 can be thrown open to the public. It is hoped to do this by the first 

 of January, 1889. 



Among the especially noteworthy collections received during the 

 year should be mentioned : 



A series of wood alcohol products, obtained in the manufacture of 

 charcoal on a large scale, as a blast-furnace fuel ; from the Works of 

 the Standard Charcoal Company, at Goodrich, Tennessee. Collected 

 by E. F. Cofan. 



A very interesting series of aluminum bronzes and other rare alloys, 

 made by Biermann, of Hanover. Presented by the " Iron Age" of New 

 York City. 



A large series of the nickel ores of Webster, North Carolina, together 

 with the chromium ore. Presented by W. A. H. Schriber, Webster, 

 North Carolina. 



A small but very instructive series illustrating the process of utiliz- 

 ing the low grade sulphide ores of Leadville, Colorado, as practised by 

 the concentrating mill of the Colonel Sellers mine. Presented by Tay- 

 lor & Brunton, Leadville, Colorado. 



A series of the gold, nickel, and chromium ores of California. Pre- 

 sented by L. W. Green, Baird, Shasta County, California. 



H. Mis. 142, pt. 2 14 ^09 



