University of Virginia Library

GEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.

Review and discussion of the more important current geological
literature, and the preparation of papers on special subjects based on
field and library investigations. All instructors and advanced students
in geology are expected to take part in the discussions at these meetings.
Time to be arranged.

The Lewis Brooks Museum contains collections illustrating the main
subdivisions of Natural History. Each of the collections is arranged so
as to exemplify the principles of the science, and at the same time offers
a large variety of subjects for advanced study. In Geology the specimens
show all the different kinds of rocks, classified according to mineral character
and the formation in which they occur; the collection of fossils,
plaster casts, maps, etc., is exceptionally fine, and fully illustrates Historical
Geology. In Mineralogy the principles of the science are made
plain by well-chosen suits of specimens, models of crystals, etc. The
general collection of minerals contains all the important species, and many
of the rarer ones, in good specimens. Zoölogy is well illustrated by a fine
and large collection of mounted skeletons, stuffed animals, dried specimens,
plaster casts, etc. In Botany the collections contain charts, papier-maché
models of flowers and fruits, sections of wood, etc.: the bulk of
the collection is in the form of an herbarium, selected from the most important
and interesting botanical regions of the world. In addition to
the above, a beginning has been made of a collection to illustrate the
geology and mineralogy of the State of Virginia, and this is being increased
as rapidly as possible.

These large and carefully selected collections of geological and mineralogical
objects afford unsurpassed facilities for the full illustration of
the principles taught. As free access to these collections is allowed the
student, he can find in their study an opportunity, rarely obtained, for
gaining a practical acquaintance with natural objects acquired from
various parts of the world, and chosen for their typical character. These
collections are especially useful to students pursuing advanced work in
Geology and Mineralogy.