250 • The American Geologist. October, isss 
geologist, Burmeister, then curator of the musenm at Buenos 
Ayres. Forgetting the cosmopolitan generosity that should char- 
acterize science, he descended into the field of politics and 
attempted to exclude the students of other nations from the ad- 
vantages which South America possessed, but could only imper- 
fectly use. Fortunately, this selfish law never was, and perhaps 
could not be enforced. In the wholesale exportation of bones that 
was continuously going on for the manufacture of phosphates it 
was not to be expected that the custom-house officials could dis- 
tinguish those of Megatherium and Skelidotherium from the more 
common place bones of Bos and Equus or perhaps of Homo, even 
had they wished so to do. 
It is a treat to go through the museum with the professor when 
he is, as now and then happens, disengaged for a short time and to 
listen to the reminiscences suggested by this or that specimen. A 
fine piece of crokidolite elicited the story of a visit to Griqua- 
land, the only known locality for the mineral, and a prowling ex- 
cursion to the stone kraals of the natives with hammer in hand. 
Selecting those that contained the mineral as discovered by strik- 
ing off a chip, the naturalist (what the Griquas call him is of no 
consequence here) pulled down the fence, took out the slab of 
crokidolite and either built up the wall again or left it for the 
owner to restore, as seemed to him advisable in regard to the 
future. 
A portion of a basaltic column recalled a visit to the cele- 
brated Giant's causeway, where in the chalk underlying the basalt, 
some magnificent specimens of Ventriculites (paramoudras) were 
secured by sending a man with a wagon through the country to 
beg or to buy them, as the case might be, from the country-folk, 
by whom they are used as posts or ornamental stones and for a 
variety of other purposes. One of these stood eight feet high in 
the chalk pit where it was found, and another now in Rochester 
and almost perfect, measures three feet. 
Not the least debt which the geologist or the naturalist in gen- 
eral owes to Prof. Ward is one for the gencrosit}^ with which he 
is willing to allow students to consult his specimens for purposes 
of comparison and of work. In few places can a better oppor- 
tunity be found because the specimens are not usually mounted 
and set for purposes of show so that they cannot be handled, but 
they are in the rough, natural condition. Ask for one and in a 
