 | University of Virginia catalogue |  |
CORCORAN SCHOOL OF NATURAL HISTORY
AND GEOLOGY.
Professor Fontaine.
In this School there are two regular classes—Geology and Mineralogy.
Geology.—This subject is taught during the entire session, and three
lectures a week are devoted to it until the examination in Mineralogy,
which takes place in the latter part of January; thereafter
five lectures a week are given to Geology until the final examination,
which takes place late in April. The aim of the course of instruction
is to give as thorough an exposition of the fundamental principles of
the science as possible, and to teach the student how to use them in
practical work in the field.
Text book.—Le Conte's Elements of Geology. For Reference.—Dana's Manual
and Lyell's Elements and Principles of Geology. The teaching is chiefly by lecture.
Mineralogy.—This subject is studied until the examination in January.
Two lectures a week are devoted to it. Special attention is
paid to crystallography, as well as to the chemical and physical properties
of minerals. In Descriptive Mineralogy, the geological occurrence,
and the importance and relations of the species are made prominent.
Text-book.—Dana's Manual of Mineralogy and Lithology. For Reference.—
Dana's Text-book of Mineralogy. The teaching is chiefly by lecture.
In the Graduate Course of this School subjects will be selected
from one or both of the branches included in the School, and assigned
in the treatment of the subjects chosen.
Candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts are required to
pass in Geology; for the degree of Master of Arts in both Geology
and Mineralogy. For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy the candidate
must in addition complete the Graduate Course.
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 formations 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.
Zoology 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 graduate
courses of study in Geology and Mineralogy.
The Professor, when the number of applicants is sufficient, organizes
a party of Geological exploration. The field work is done in the
month of July, and is entirely optional with the students. Persons
engaged in the study of Geology and Mineralogy may, although not
members of the University class, with the consent of the Professor, and
on paying $25 to the Proctor, join the exploring party.
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