246 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 188(5. 



In the card-catalogue 1,G3S entries have been made, and in this con- 

 nection Mr. H. J. Biddle kindly volunteered assistance and examined a 

 large series of ores from Mexico, from Missouri, and from tbe New Or- 

 leans Exposition, making 2,400 determinations of mineral species in tbe 

 specimens. 



One hundred and seventy-seven specimens Lave been sent out in ex- 

 change, 59 reports upon material submitted for examination, and 11 

 special reports of information have been made. 



This is the first year since the organization of the department that 

 there has been any serious attempt at systematic installation of the 

 collections. Upon the receipt of the American Institute of Mining Engi- 

 neers' collection a portion of the west hall was assigned for its exhibi- 

 tion, but owing to the incompletness of the records of the material and 

 to the fact that, while many of the individual collections were quite fall 

 and complete, there were many large gaps in the collection. as a whole, 

 which rendered its installation in the west hall un advisable, it was 

 found necessary to delay the exhibition of ranch of the material, and 

 instead it was decided to install the systematic collections, the basis of 

 which had been exhibited at the INew Orleans Exhibition, using as much 

 ■ of the Institute collections as were in proper shape. 



A large portion of the year has been devoted to unpacking, examining, 

 rearranging, and adding to the New Orleans material, so as to complete 

 as far as possible the metallurgical collection. Aside from the arrange- 

 ment of the material, considerable time has been consumed in prepar- 

 ing general labels for the collections. 



In addition to the papers noticed in the Bibliography (Part IV) as 

 published by the curator, there is also included a notice of a paper by 

 Mr. P. L. Garrison, of Philadelphia, describing the photographs of 

 microscopic sections of iron and steel, copies of which have been pre 

 sented to the Museum. 



Early in 1884 the attention of the department was turned towards the 

 necessity of an examination of the fuel values of American coals, and 

 in the latter part of the year the results of a careful examination of the 

 subject, together with plans for a suitable investigation, were formally 

 laid before the Director, with the object of bringing the matter before 

 Congress in order to secure the necessary appropriations to carry on 

 the work. 



The question of the relative fuel value of different coals is one of 

 great importance to all users of coals, and on this account alone the sub- 

 ject is one that should command the attention of the Government; but 

 aside from this, the Government has a direct pecuniary interest in know- 

 ing the value of different coals purchased for its own use. This was 

 appreciated as long ago as 1841, when an appropriation was made to 

 enable a series of experiments to be made to determine the steaming 

 power of various coals furnished for the Navy. 



The examination carried on under the provisions of this appropriation 



