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EEPORT ON THE GEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 



By J. D. Whitney, Stwg is- Hooper Professor of Geology. 



During the past year instruction has been given in this depart- 

 ment as follows : The Sturgis-Hooper professor lectured through 

 the whole college year on Economical Geology, twice a week, to 

 students in the fourth year of the Engineering Course of the 

 Lawrence Scientific School. Mr. WadsworUi lectured during the 

 latter part of the year on Lithology, to an audience of teachers 

 and professors, with an average ' attendance of about fourteen 

 persons. He also gave practical instruction in Micro-lithology, 

 through the whole year, to graduates and teachers from the Boston 

 Public Schools. 



Cases for the lithological collections, which will hold a large 

 number of specimens, have recently been put up in the geological 

 lecture-room, and Mr. Wadsworth has begun to arrange the mate- 

 rial in this department, so as to make it accessible for examination 

 and study. There have been three valuable additions made to 

 this collection since the date of the last report. One of these 

 illustrates a section across New Hampshire and Vermont, and 

 was procured from Mr. Huntington ; another was collected by 

 Professor Pettee, in California; and the third by Mr. Wadsworth, 

 in Newfoundland, and in the Carboniferous formation of Nova 

 Scotia. About 200 thin sections have also been added during 

 the year, mostly of rocks from Lake Superior, making the whole 

 number available for study about 1,400. 



Several collections of rocks and minerals have been examined 

 for individuals desiring information in this department. Among 

 these were suites of specimens from Leadville and Florissant, 

 and a large collection made by Rev. Selah Merrill, D.D., in 

 Palestine. 



Mr. Wadsworth has devoted a large part of his time, during 



