REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS 

 IN THE U. S, NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



By F. W. Clarke, Honorary Curator. 



During the year gratifying progress has been made in the Depart- 

 ment of Minerals. The main collection has been carefully culled and, 

 in great measure, re-arranged, and a new installation of the gem series 

 is well under way. The Lea collection of micas is now exhibited in 

 three table-cases, making a fine appearance; aud the large wall-case 

 which it formerly occupied is now filled with large mineral specimens 

 which could not previously be displayed. Two hundred duplicate sets, 

 of fifty-seven specimens each, have been prepared for distribution to 

 schools and colleges ; and eleven special series of duplicates have been 

 sent out in exchange for material received. 



The more important accessions have been : by gift, from W. G. 

 Clark and G. M. Wilson, of Mullan, Idaho, a remarkable series of platt- 

 nerite and pyromorphite from the Coeur d'Alene district ; from J. A. 

 Lucas, Silver City, New Mexico, 337 pseudomorphs of copper after 

 azurite ; from G. D. Hamill, Georgetown, New Mexico, 51 specimens 

 of descloizite and vanadinite ; Mr. Alex. McGregor, of the same place, 

 also gave 110 specimens of the same mineral, forming a unique series 

 as regards beauty and completeness; from W. P. Jenney, IT. S. Geolog- 

 ical Survey, one specimen of native lead from Idaho ; from Dr. R. H. 

 Lamborn, of New York, eight cut stones for the gem collection ; from 

 Ira E. Allen, Fairhaven, Vermont, two barrels of amazonstone from 

 Amelia Court- House, Virginia ; from the Pennsylvania Salt Company, 

 one barrel of cryolite from Greenland ; from Dr. H. S. Lucas, Cullasaja, 

 North Carolina, 316 specimens of minerals from Corundum Hill ; from 

 Mrs. Hulda Burdick, Pine Mountaiu, Georgia, 204 specimens of min- 

 erals from the Laurel Creek corundum mines. From the U. S. Geolog- 

 ical Survey, a large series of minerals from the lead and zinc mines of 

 southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas, collected by W. P. 

 Jenney ; also a superb series of vanadinite, dumortierite, and other 

 Arizona minerals, collected by Dr. W. F. Hillebrand. Large field col- 

 lections were also made by Mr. W. S. Yeates, assistant curator, in 

 Virginia and North Carolina, and some material was collected by my- 

 self in the iron region near Lake Champlain. 



241 

 H. Mis. 129, pt. 2 16 



