REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OP GEOLOGY 

 By George P. Mereiix, Head Curator 



The department records show a decided decrease in both amount 

 and value of material received during the past year, as compared with 

 the year previous. It must not be overlooked, however, that 

 1923-24 was exceptional in that the acquisitions included a large 

 dinosaur skeleton and two extensive collections of invertebrate fos- 

 sils. Reference to reports previous to 1923-24 shows that the pres- 

 ent year is probably about up to the average. 



The most satisfactory additions to the collections were those made 

 by our own force, notwithstanding the small amount of field work 

 that it has been possible to carry on under Museum auspices. The 

 advantage of having the collecting done by those in close touch with 

 the department can not be overestimated, and it is not too much to 

 say that the present chronic condition of poverty in funds is de- 

 plorable. 



Progress in caring for materials received has been fairly satisfac- 

 tory, and research work, to some extent, has been continued. 



Accessions. — The accessions for 1923-24 numbered 227 with an 

 estimated total of 159,921 specimens; those of the present year are 

 tabulated below. 



Divisions 



Specimens 



Geology, systematic and applied 



Mineralogy and petrology 



Stratigraphic paleontology : 



Invertebrate paleontology __ 



Paleobotany 



Vertebrate paleontology 



Total 



961 

 696 



79, 674 



These figures represent permanent acquisitions and are exclusive 

 of duplicates. 



Among the more notable of these accessions is a series of unusual 

 forms of stalactites and stalagmites from the Carlsbad Caverns, 

 in New Mexico. These were collected by Dr. Willis T. Lee under 

 the auspices of the National Geographic Society, by whom the en- 

 tire collection, supplemented by a number of enlarged photographic 



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