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REPORT ON THE GEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 



By J. D. Whitney, Sturgis-Hooper Professor of Geology. 



During the past year, instruction has been given at the 

 Museum, by the Sturgis-Hooper Professor, in the department of 

 Economical Geology ; on which subject there were lectures twice 

 a week throughout the year. The class consisted of candidates 

 for the degree of Ph.D., of special students, and of Seniors 

 and Juniors from the undergraduate department. The Stur- 

 gis-Hooper Professor also gave or provided, during about 

 six-sevenths of the year, instruction in Physical Geography, for 

 Sophomores and Juniors, in the College " Natural History 1 " 

 elective. A part of the instruction in this elective was given 

 by Mr. Wadsworth ; and this consisted of a short practical course 

 in Determinative Mineralogy and Lithology, as a necessary in- 

 troduction to a course of Physical Geography and Elementary 

 Geology. 



There being no facilities for practical instruction in Lithology in 

 the University, and this being considered by the Sturgis-Hooper 

 Professor as the foundation of all geological study, the neces- 

 sary preparations were made by him for giving such instruction 

 in future years. The services of Mr. M. E. Wadsworth were 

 engaged for this purpose, and the requisite apparatus for making 

 thin sections was purchased. There was also procured a suitable 

 microscope, made in Berlin, on the pattern given by Rosen- 

 busch. Mr. J. H. Huntington was engaged during nearly the 

 whole year in making thin sections of a portion of the lith- 

 ological collection belonging to the Sturgis-Hooper Professor ; 

 and as much of this collection as room could be found for was 

 unpacked and arranged in trays, and these placed in cases, with 

 proper labels. All this was done under the direction of Mr. 

 Wadsworth. The number of thin sections of specimens in the 



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