REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF METALLURGY AND ECONOMIC 

 GEOLOGY IN THE U. S, NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR THE YEAR END- 

 ING JUNE BO, 1886. 



By Fred. P. Dewey, Curator. 





During the year 175 accessions were received. Of these, 42 were col- 

 lections gathered by the curator at the New Orleans Exposition, which 

 were fully described in the last annual report, but which were not re- 

 ceived in Washington in time to be accessioned until after the first of 

 July, 1885. Of the remaining 138 accessions a very large number were 

 specimens sent in for examination and report, and have no value what- 

 ever to the Museum. Only 7 of the accessions are of sufficient impor- 

 tance to be especially mentioned. These are: 



A small but very interesting and valuable collection representing the 

 occurrence and associates of iridosmine, presented by Mr. A. D. Walcott, 

 Randolph, Oregon. A small collection representing the occurrence of 

 free silver in the Batopilas region of Mexico, collected by Dr. Edward 

 Talnier, of the Smithsonian Institution. A small collection represent- 

 ing the application of the Eussell leaching process for the extraction of 

 the precious metals as applied to the ores of Lake Valley, New Mexico, 

 presented by Mr. F. W. Taylor. A very full and interesting illustra- 

 tion of the occurrence, extraction, and uses of aluminum, presented by 

 Col. William Frishmuth, Philadelphia, Pa. A full series of photographs 

 of microscopic sections of iron and steel, presented by Mr. F. L. Garrison, 

 Philadelphia, Pa. A series of English cokes from various localities and 

 representing different processes of manufacture, presented by Mr. Henry 

 Simon, Manchester, England. The very large collection presented to the 

 Museum by the American Institute of Mining Engineers. This collec- 

 tion is especially rich in illustrations of the American iron industry, the 

 ores of Missouri, and of foreign ores and metallurgical processes; it will 

 be more fully described in the historical sketch of the department. 



In cataloguing the collections, 5,506 entries, covering 8,233 specimens, 

 have been made. Besides the 175 accessions received during the year. 

 29 accessions, previously received, have been entered. This material 

 may be divided as follows: From the New Orleans Exposition, 7G ac- 

 cessions, 2,422 entries, and 3,233 specimens ; American Institute of Min- 

 ing Engineers, 1 accession, 2,016 entries, and 4,230 specimens ; miscella- 

 neous, 127 accessions, 408 entries, and 704 specimens. 



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