New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-15
SCIENCE AT AMHERST.

IFRoM An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE ihnoN'i
AuuFpsr. Mass, Aug. 6.-The first act OF
tho new College Administration at Amherst mas peeh 'o
nirchase Of all the shepard Scientific Collections located
in the college cabinets These collections the private
,,ro,ertv Of Prof C. L. shepard, were removed from
NcwIlsyen 70 Amherst 1917 through the influence oil
Prof Hitchcock, aud have remained here ever sih'e e
ceying constant personal attention from the fI"''s'
and from the College such enlarged accommodations 10
their growth required. Very soon AFTER 'hor IT,
moval arrangements made for their cNchuh Pu'-
chase hut II has for long time been ooo'uU "'''''
,bc contract could ever be completed. The purchase
has however been made for SlO'OOo OF less t'""
half the appraised value of the minerals the 'oi'Ee
thereby securing for itself not only AL the natera he'
gary for study in this department. but also to use the
Professors own words collection which, Deslde p's
tie largest ever formed by individual is actually te
hest now possessed by any college Or university ~ TINS
country or in Europ" This Is the largest s'lo o' n
erals ever made al one time.
The collections are three in number VIZ " M"'e'
logical Geological and Mctoorc. or these the met
Is the most important and perfect. containing sl"o''
Illustrative of almost an the species OF tie tWenS'"o
orders selected with the utmost skill ana appreciation
of scientific beauty. Numbers" says the ilo''so''
shave never been my aim IN these acquisitions nav
rather sought what characteristic ana hsUUou'e,
mot however 10 the neglect Of the rare ana heauti"
Every specimen impress Of tins rare insight III
a. the nature Of collectors duties. Everything rests ON
al organic completeness. There Is no lumber no at
tempt az display aud yet nothing Is wanting 10 lusfAe
The most minute points and exceptions Of the science
Even variation Of color, though OF subordinate ILL.,
,ortapce has not escaped his attention. ana these
have been selected ana arranged with taste which
shows that he possesses aesthetic wei rs scientific
eve The whole collection has. within the lastfe" years
been relaDccd and arranged according 10 the N"'V'I
method one gifts curiositcs is the giant corn'd1ne
(ruby) fouud al Franklin. Macon County, y - WHICH
weighs 3l2 pounds and is valued at $1,000.
The meieorc collection the fourth for size and value
in the world the three others which oarauk II OciS
those Of the national museums at London vienna ana
Paris II was begun IN examination ana aNallSl ol
The Richmond mcteorit,s hich Prof chopard mace III
ISIS aud has been increased by purchase ana eAcso
until il wanting $50 very few authentic locllcs ''-
longing this continent besides possessing many ro"
the Old Word-2l2 localities in all Oi tAes5 I4e ''e
ucteoric stones. and 81 mcteoric irons. Tho oldest
known fan among them is that Of EnSsheln' ID
Alsace November T. 1892 one Of them an iron nom
Aeiotoroz Colorado weighs 43S pounds. and another
from Otsego y y, only hall an ounce; while 7'oho
from Hesslc near Up4ila, sweden weighs only MY
grains. Tie whole number Of authenuc mete'H'es Is
about 500 Besides these there ID an extensive series
Of doubtful specimens.
The Geological collection is more especially important
as a mean. for acadcmical instruction. IL this hgt
however. 1t compares iayOrably with the best III inc
country. II begins with the nonfosiicIous Toc1s anu
extends through to the PostIEocene Inc lower Az"
uppcr silurIan formations remarkably well Illus
tratea especially by English specimens The DeNon"h
and Carbonif, rous are rich IN specimens, parue-
larry remarkable collection of saurian fshes from near
Edubursh which Acsssz pronounced 10 he one OF TIE
finest in existence The same completeness OF huslr@
ton both Of OF typical localities and OF typical
fossils Characterize the Lassic, Jurassc and Irassic
perods-the footprints the Tras Of the Connecticut
Vale, being especially noticeable FOR their clcamess OF
outline and ffcshucss Of surface Indeed, this collection
taken in connection with the Hitchcock lchthyooec"i
Cabinet forms perhaps good an exhibition OF All lusI
Is characteristic the Trassic aud JuaSslc formations
OF the Eastern border region can be found anywhere
But the most satisfactory portion or the collection tho
Tertiary and Quarternary series remarkably me as
softnent OF specimens growing out OF The opportunities
for exploration among the phosphate formations OF
South Carolina which Prot shepard has for many years
enjoyed II contains large quantity u hshtcct bones
and teeth the horse talr deer elephant ucg1'herum
nostodou etc Tie specimens number IN al more than
1900 and are generally in state Of most perfect pre-
servatiOn The uastodOn homes Sre large portions OF
two skeletons one OF which found on the bcach OF
st. Helena Is and : c.. and the Other among the phos
phatic nodues nine miles from Charleston in the same
State.
This collection lie by itself sufficient for the ordinary
college instruction, but united to the other collections
which the College possesses, VIZ, the Woods Geologic cal
Collection Foreign Geological Collection, tie Masi''-
chuetts Geological Collection. made 10y Prof Hitchcock
I'm hs survey OF s3O1 $40. aud the Connee-
tcut Geological Collection made ny Prof. Shepard. il
affords an ample field Tor special post graduate study
and Will we'll repay the attention Of the most accom-
psned scientist Tese collections the fruits of hfty
seven years Of efficient scientific labor Prof shepard
began them before entering college but they received
their chief Impulse intimate relation entered
into during senior year nj Amherst win Baron Won
Iederer then Committeeman 10 the United States from
Austria whereby q system OF the most profitable e1-
changes was entered with the Imperial Mineral Cab
met 81 Vienna and continued for upward OF twenty
years sia!ar intercourse was subsequently maintained
with the British Museum the Garden Of Plants at Paris,
and tho Royal collections Of Berlin and St Petersburg,
wei with the most prominent mineraiOssiS or
Europe.
Bat the main growth Of the collection has resulted
from the veteran travels and explorations
nj home ana abroad. A residence in Cambridge and
Boston for years after HE graduation afforded an
opportunity for excursions through Eastern
Massachusetts Rhode Island and Maine. An association
In 1925 with Prof simsn, his assistant, and after
wards with College lecturer on Natural Science
for many years gave him control Of the best local
iti.s IN Connecticut which frequently visit
cd specimens Of the interest being secured
Having been made Professor OF Chemistry in the Mcdi
cal College Of the State Of South Carolina in 1889
"a new field opened for his abors. From that
ting the present he has passed nearly the half OF each
ycaS at South and engaged in extensive sceu
title and mining explorations, which have resulted III
varied and rich acquisitions lie has twelve times visit
ed Europe where his exchanges and purchases have been
conducted a scale hch he SAYS am led to believe
has not been surpassed by any Of my countrymen In
addition TO this he has maintained a constant inter
course many thousands OF his pupils connected with
the colleges IN which he has instructed, and has
been materially assisted by his son, Prof. Charles
Shepard who during his many residence IN Europe
has made contributions To his mineral cabinets.
Besides these minerals Prof shepard possesses fine
herbarium aud assortment Of geological specimens
oil. fhpr Will