University of Virginia Library

CORCORAN SCHOOL OF NATURAL HISTORY AND GEOLOGY.

Professor Fontaine.

Required for Admission to the Work of the School: The General
Entrance Examination.

In this School two subjects are taught, Geology and Descriptive
Mineralogy. There are two courses, as follows:

Course 1B: Three lectures a week will be given throughout the
session. The design of the course is to enable the student to obtain
such a knowledge of the science of Geology as should be possessed by a
well-educated man. As full an exposition of the fundamental principles
will be given as the time will allow.

Text-Books.—Scott's Introduction to Geology, and Notes of the Professor's
lectures.

Course 2C: Course 1B prerequisite.—This course consists of two
divisions, one in Mineralogy, the other in Geology.

Mineralogy.—The course in Mineralogy closes in February.
Three lectures a week are given in it. In this course attention is paid
to crystallography, and especially to the physical properties of minerals.
In Descriptive Mineralogy the relations, geological occurrence, and history
of the individual species are made prominent.

Text-Books.—Dana's Manual of Mineralogy and Petrology. The instruction
will be in part by lectures.

Geology.—This division of the course begins after the completion
of Mineralogy in February. The more general and complicated problems
in all the branches of Geology will be dealt with in this course. As
thorough a treatment as possible will be given of Stratigraphy, Lithology,
and Paleontology. More stress will be laid on the methods of field-work
and the application of geological principles. The aim will be to give such
a knowledge of the subject as may be useful to the student in breadwinning
pursuits, or may serve as a basis for the more specialized course
required for the attainment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Text-Books.—Chamberlin and Salisbury's Geology in part. For reference: Geikie's
Text-Book of Geology. The instruction will be in part by lectures.

The advanced course in this School is intended to give the student
as large a stock of useful information as possible, to teach him methods
of investigation, and to train him in habits of observation. Original research
will be insisted on, and opportunity will be given for the student
to concentrate his efforts in some line of special study.

Topics for study will be taken from both of the subjects taught in
this School. The abundant material in the Lewis Brooks Museum, mentioned
below, gives unusual facilities for the pursuit of graduate work.

Course 3D: Descriptive Mineralogy.—The course of Mineralogy
is so selected as to give the student a good knowledge of as wide a
range of the principles as possible, and at the same time to cause him to
acquire a practical knowledge of the various mineral species. In the
practical study, the more common minerals, and those of more importance
from an economic and geologic point of view, will have preference. A
practical knowledge of the crystal forms and of the characteristic groupings
and massive forms of minerals, will be required. Special attention
will be paid to the relations of minerals, their association in nature, and
their geological occurrence. The student will be trained to determine
minerals, as far as possible, by their obvious characteristics, without the
help of tests, and practical examinations will be held, from time to time,
to test his skill. One or more these will be required.

Dana's Text-Book of Mineralogy, and Weisbach's Mineral Tables will be used;
and topics from various authors will be assigned for study in special cases.

Course 4D: Geology.—In Geology the aim will be to fit the student
for independent and original research. He will study as thoroughly
as possible the broader problems of the science, involving the knowledge
of stratigraphical principles. Special attention will be given to imparting a
practical knowledge of the various rocks, and of the animal and plant
fossils of the different eras, with the view of using them in determining
unknown formations. Stress will be laid upon field work, and the methods
of determining and describing the geology of new regions. To impart
such knowledge, the student will be required to work up some particular
region or formation, and report his results. Topics involving a knowledge
of the literature and growth of opinion in relation to particular questions
may be assigned to form the subject of theses.

Camberlin and Salisbury's Geology will be used as a text-book, and selected
books of other authors will be used when necessary.

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 minerals, 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 will be 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.