BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 67 



400,000 specimens, including the following loan collections: Ryerson 

 collection in Mexican archeology, 3000 pieces; Ryerson collections 

 from the cliff dwellings and cave houses of Utah, accompanied by a 

 series of photographs; Clement collection from Japan, containing art 

 work in lacquer and porcelain, and an interesting series of articles 

 used in the curious doll's festival. The material collected by Frederick 

 Starr among the Ainu of Japan and the native tribes of the Congo Free 

 State is on display temporarily. 



Geology. General collections illustrating structural phenomena 

 and the modes of action of dynamic agencies; a systematic series of 

 fossils arranged on a stratigraphic basis illustrating the successive 

 faunas and floras; a large series of models, maps, and photographs; 

 a large series of ores and other mining products, representing the lead- 

 ing mining districts of the United States and of many foreign countries ; 

 a systematic series of minerals arranged for the illustration of lectures; 

 igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks in systematic series, 

 together with special collections of igneous rocks from a number of 

 localities in western America and Europe. The private mineral collec- 

 tion of Mr. W. C. E. Seeboeck is also on exhibition. 



Paleontology. Invertebrates, arranged for reference purposes 

 only, rich in material from the paleozoic horizons, including about 

 3500 type specimens. Important collections are the James Hall 

 collection, the Gurley collection, the James collection, the Washburn 

 collection, the Weller collection, the Sampson collection, the Faber 

 collection, the Haines collection, the Basseler collection of Bryozoa 

 and Ostracoda, and the Van Home collection. 



Vertebrate fossils include important series of the American Per- 

 mian reptiles, triassic reptiles and amphibians, Niobrara cretaceous 

 birds, reptiles, and fishes, with considerable material from the Laramie 

 cretaceous and White River oligocene. 



Historical Sketch. The museum was established by Mr. 

 Geo. C. Walker of Chicago, in 1893. 



Financial Support. Maintained by funds supplied by the trus- 

 tees of the universitv. 



Building. Erected in 1893, at a cost of $130,000, by the founder. 

 There is 15,600 square feet of floor space available for exhibition, and 

 5200 for storage. About half of the building is temporarily occupied 

 by other departments of the university, but will ultimately be available 

 for the museum. 



Administration. By a director, responsible to the University of 

 Chicago board of museums. 



Scope. The collections are intended chiefly for the purposes of 

 investigation and college teaching. 



