328 The American Geologist. ^^^y- ^^^^• 
ranch, Curry Co., Oregon," J. S. Diller; "The problem of 
Archean," C. R. V^an Hise. At the meeting of April loth the 
following was the program : "The Philadelphia gneisses," Miss 
F. Bascom ; "Possible Pre-Wisconsin tills of Massachusetts," 
M. L. Fuller; "The Waverly group of Ohio," G. H. Girty. 
National Museum for Canada. — In the supplementary 
estimates to be laid before parliament in the course of a few 
days there will be included a substantial sum of money to be 
devoted toward the erection of a national museum of geology 
and natural history for the magnificent collection now accom- 
modated in the Geological Survey building, Sussex street. 
The edifice will be of sufficient size and in design w^orthy of the 
purpose to which it is to be put. 
Dr. R. a. F. Penrose of the Journal of Geology editorial 
staff, is about to undertake a journey around the world for 
the purpose of visiting the mines and mineral deposits of 
greatest interest. It is his intention to begin with the older 
Cornish tin mines and the chief mineral localities of England. 
Thence he intends to pass to Sweden and after visiting her 
principal objects of interest, to proceed by steamer from Stock- 
diolm to St. Petersburg. When he has completed his tour of 
observation of the mines and minerals of Russia he wnll go via 
the trans-Siberian railway to the Pacific and back to the dia- 
mond and gold fields of South Africa. Ceylon and Burmah 
will be visited, if possible, and he will return to California in a 
year or more. 
J. Pierpont Morgan, the financier of New York City, one 
of the trustees of the American Museum of Natural History, 
was the donor of the Bement collection to that institution. 
This is probably the finest donation of minerals ever made to 
any institution. It is valued at from $150,000 to $200,000, and 
was called after Clarence S. Bement. of Philadelphia, who be- 
gan the collection 35 years ago, and kept adding to it until it 
passed from his possession. Neither time nor money was 
spared in gathering desirable specimens, and in 1884 the Be- 
ment collection was looked upon as so important as to call for a 
special report in the interest of the National Museum, Wash- 
ington. It was expected at one time that this collection would 
become the property of the government. A curator of a for- 
eign museum, after seeing the Bement collection went to Eu- 
rope. He cabled that he would purchase the specimens, but 
did not succeed in raising the necessary money. Since 1884 
the Bement collection has increased over 50 per cent. 
These accessions to the collection raise the American Mus- 
eum of Natural History to rank among the museums of the 
world like that of the British Museum, heretofore, by common 
consent, considered as rich beyond comparison in rare speci- 
mens. 
