DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



GEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 



(including the mineralogical and conchological 

 collections.) 



Pal^eontological Collections. — Owing to the condition of 

 the Museum building during the year, less time was devoted to 

 work on these collections than was desirable. Still all that was 

 not fully taken up by changes and work made necessary by the 

 repairs being made was devoted to it. Up to the first of January, 

 1 89 1, the work of labeling has been carried forward on the east 

 side of the room to within the Upper Helderberg Group, or into 

 section 13 of Case G, having advanced from the beginning of the 

 Lower Helderberg Group, in section 10, Case F. Within this 

 area there were 1217 complete labels placed during the year, 477 

 of which are those pertaining to "type" or "figured" speci- 

 mens, requiring citations and references. In addition to this 

 there were 137 complete labels made for a collection of fossils 

 from Palestine, which are not on exhibition for want of space, 

 and about three hundred others replaced in the collection where 

 the damage by water from roof-leakage had destroyed those pre- 

 viously made. There were also 665 labels reprinted by Mr. 

 Gratacap to replace those first used, printed in red ink and now 

 so faded as to be illegible. About 400 more of these yet remain 

 on the east side of the room, and about 200 on the west side. 

 The aggregate of new permanent labels added to the Palaeonto- 

 logical collections during the year is 2319. The labels for the 

 Palestine fossils all had to be determined and obtained from books 

 published on this Syrian region, and are not yet complete, as the 

 literature necessary for that purpose is not in our library. 



But few of the labels furnished during the year have been 

 mounted on blocks, as the carpenter employed by the Museum 

 has not had time to make them. This necessarily leaves the 

 cases in much confusion, as the collections have to be removed 

 again to insert the blocks, and it makes an unsightly and dis- 

 agreeable feature which we cannot help, but which ought to be 

 remedied as early as possible, so that it may not interfere with the 

 progress of work. 



Cataloguing. — The Palseontological Collection catalogue has 

 progressed in the hands of Mr. L. P. Gratacap to near the middle 

 of Case D on the east side of the room, including two alcove 

 desk cases. 



