Annunl Meeting.] 130 [^May 3, 
The goiior;il collections in bolli inineraloo-y and geolon-y may 
now Ijerega riled as for tlietime being- in a finislied and satisfactory 
state; but in consequence of the natural growth of the collections 
and the ])rogressive development of geological science, both the 
arrangement and the text will require i-evision from time to time. 
In fact, a revision of the mineralogical collection and Guide Iras 
been in order for some time, especially since the appeai-ance of 
the new edition of Dana's System of mineralogy, and it should 
be undertaken within a year or two. 
In the meantime, it appears desirable to make such ])rogress as 
we can with the New England and local collections. 
The New England collection of minerals is growing slowly by 
means of occasional donations and the personal efforts of the 
assistant, but It is still far from complete. 
A comprehensive and creditable illustration of the geology of 
New England woidd be impracticable for want of space, even if 
the materials were sutlicient, but we are gradually accumulating 
these and temporarily placing the specimens on the sheh es in the 
gallery of Room B. 
The outlook for the local geology — the geology of the Boston 
Basin — on the other hand, offers more encouragement. The 
materials needed for this purpose are all within easy reach, and the 
limits of adequate representation do not so greatly exceed the s]iace 
at our command. A large propoi-tion of the assistant's time 
during the ]»ast year has been devoted to investigation in this 
direction ; and the Curator in behalf of the Society takes great 
pleasure in acknowledging the important aid which has been 
received from Mr. T. A. Watson. Besides assisting in the field 
work, Mr. Watson has contributed the funds for the publication 
of the results of this work. The printing of the monograph on 
the geology of Nantasket and Cohasset, which liad been suspended, 
was in consequence of this encouragement resumed last September, 
and has been completed. It embraces 1 77 ])ages of text, two large 
colored maps, and tliirty cuts. 
The second monograph of this series, on the geology of Ilingham, 
of which an abstract was printed in the Proceedings, is nearly 
ready. The three colored maps for this second monograph are 
already printed. Mr. AVatson has again shown his interest in 
this work by contributing the services of a draughtsman who 
lias drawn the general map for the third, monograph, on the 
