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REPORT OF THE STURGIS-HOOPER PROFESSOR OF 



GEOLOGY. 



By Professor J. D. Whitney. 



During the past year (1892-93) two courses of lectures 

 were given by the Sturgis-Hooper Professor. The first of these 

 was geographical, and was attended by about fifteen students, 

 mostly Graduates and Seniors. The object of this course was to 

 give an outline of the progress of geographical science, beginning 

 with the very earliest times, and having special reference to the 

 methods by which this kind of information has been obtained and 

 represented, on paper or otherwise, so as to be available for prac- 

 tical use. This course was comprised in about thirty lectures, and 

 brought the subject down to the circumnavigation of the globe by 

 Magellan. In the libraries of the University there is a large 

 amount of illustrative material for a course of this kind, which 

 could very properly and profitably have been expanded to twice 

 the length attempted. 



The second course, which was attended by about thirty students, 

 was devoted to the economical geology of the metals and their ores, 

 and included brief sketches of the methods of mining, ore-dressing, 

 and smelting. This course is simply a continuation of one given 

 the previous year on economical geology in general, which, however, 

 was devoted to the non-metalliferous minerals exclusively. As 

 matters are now arranged, it seems best to make a permanent 

 division of the subject of Economical Geology into two courses of 

 lectures and study, these to be given in alternate years. The first 

 course will be devoted to the non-metalliferous minerals, the 

 second to the metals and their ores, each of these courses to run 

 through the entire College year. The object of these courses is, to 

 give the student an opportunity to acquire such an amount of 

 general knowledge of the subject of economical geology as will be 

 useful both to those who are not intending to make a specialty of 



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