12 



REPORT ON THE GEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 



By Josiah J). Whitney, Sturgis- Hooper Professor of Geology. 



During the year 1883-84 instruction was given by the 

 Sturgis-Hooper Professor in Economical Geology, there being * 

 two lectures a week throughout the College year. The por- 

 tion of the course relating to building-stones was given by Dr. 

 Wadsworth. No instruction was given in lithology. 



Some field-work was done by the Professor and his Assistant 

 in various parts of New England and New York, in continuation 

 of preparations making for future publications. The collections 

 in lithology have not, however, been materially enlarged during 

 the year. 



A large portion of the time of the Sturgis-Hooper Professor 

 has, during the year, been occupied with preparing for publica- 

 tion, putting in type, and issuing an extensive illustrated work 

 in Ornithology, " The Water Birds of North America," of which 

 the text was prepared by Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, 

 as a continuation of work begun by the Geological Survey 

 of California, and continued in " The Land Birds of North 

 America," by the same authors. The illustrations of the Water 

 Birds, having been left unfinished at the time of the stoppage of 

 the California Survey (1874), were completed at the expense of 

 the present writer, and after considerable delay the manuscript 

 was also made read} 7 by the authors. This manuscript having 

 been examined by Mr. J. A. Allen, at the request of the Cura- 

 tor of the Museum, was strongly recommended by him for pub- 

 lication in the Memoirs of this institution. This arrangement 

 was agreed to by the Curator, under the expectation that a 

 considerable part of the expense thus incurred w r ould be reim- 

 bursed to the Museum from the sale of copies to naturalists and 

 sportsmen. The first volume has been on sale for some time, 



