Editorial Comment. 247 
from the typical localities so as to insure authenticit}'. He visits 
these places and secures collectors whenever possible, often men 
who are poor in money but enthusiastic in their work. From 
these he receives consignments year after year, thus keeping up 
the intercourse and the engagement. In some cases he finds it 
necessary to advance the funds for an expedition in search of 
the material wanted, and it is pleasant to learn that ver}- rarely 
has the confidence been betrayed. 
Prof. Ward returned from a long tour of this kind during the 
meeting of the A. A. A. S., bringing with him or sending on great 
quantities (over 200 cases) of minerals and other supplies. Here 
was stibnite from a rich Japanese locality, only discovered lately, 
luxulyanite (schorlaceous granite) from the typical region at Lux- 
ulyn cove, Cornwall, and polished serpentine from the classic 
Lizard Head, slabs of flexible sandstone (itacolumite) from Bra- 
zil, large blocks of ripple-marked sandstone from the quarries at 
Berea, 0., basaltic columns from the Giant's causeway, and 
large calcites from the old but seemingly almost exhausted beds 
of Iceland. 
Add to these syenite from the original Egyptian quarries at 
Assouan, dolomite from the Tyrol, liparite from the Lipari isles 
and hundreds of slabs of polished marbles from most of the well 
known marble quarries of the old and new worlds. 
All these, when received, are carefully studied, determined and 
mounted. Labels are printed for the minerals showing the name 
and locality, with formula of composition, crystalline S3'stem and 
the number assigned in Dana's "Mineralogy." It is needless to 
point out how much, by this care, the teaching value of the spec- 
imens is increased. 
In this connection should be noticed a school collection contain- 
ing 120 specimens, which is amply suflScient for elementary work 
in the hands of a good and competent teacher. Such a collection 
should be in every school in the country, above the lowest 
grade. 
Prof. Ward's personal pet at present is his collection of meteor- 
ites of which he now has about 164 "falls." One of these from 
Queensland had cost, he said,$l,020,and another that fell in Can- 
ada, only weighing a few ounces, was destined for the Royal- 
imperial museum at Vienna, where Dr. A. Brezina wanted it as a 
type of a kind not yet possessed b}' that immense collection. 
