19 



much augmented during the year. The work of cataloguing 

 and arranging the collection has been nearly completed by Mr. 

 J. L. Gardner, Jr., who, as volunteer assistant, has rendered 

 valuable aid to the department. This collection has proved to be 

 of very great value in our instruction. The phenomena of moun- 

 tain structure and, the relation of structure to topographic form, 

 of glaciers and their effects, and of volcanic action, can now be 

 effectively presented to the classes by the aid of these illustra- 

 tion's. The classification of the photographs and lantern slides, 

 already undertaken, will provide an arrangement, first, according 

 to localities, and, secondly, by means of cross references to partic- 

 ular classes of subjects, which can thus be easily brought together 

 for temporary use. 



IV. REPORT ON THE LABORATORY OF PHYSICAL 

 GEOGRAPHY. 



By W. M. Davis. 



Instruction in elementary Physical Geography and Meteorol- 

 ogy has been maintained during the past .year, under the direc- 

 tion of Professor W. M. Davis, and with the assistance of Mr. R. 

 DeC. Ward, on the plan described in the Report for 1890-91. 

 The illustration of the lectures on Physical Geography by means 

 of lantern slides has been the chief innovation, a large series 

 of slides having been purchased or especially prepared for this 

 course. Various forms of clouds were illustrated in the same 

 way in the course on Meteorology. The elementary courses 

 were repeated in parallel lectures during the year to classes in 

 the Society for the Collegiate Instruction of Women. Three 

 public lectures for teachers on Teaching Geography were given 

 in the spring. 



The advanced course in Physical Geography and Meteorology 

 was attended by seven students, the following subjects being- 

 discussed in weekly conferences : thunder-storms in New Eng- 

 land in 1886-87 (based on reports by volunteer observers of the 

 New England Meteorological Society), the " eye " of the storm, 

 the cyclonic storms of India, the diurnal variation of tempera- 



