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Donato García was the mineralogy professor at the Royal Cabinet of Natural History and Central University of Madrid from 1816 to 1853. In addition to teaching mineralogy, he gathered geological and mineralogical material for didactic purposes, and for exhibitions in the hall of the Cabinet. He was a key figure in developing the subject matter of mineralogy in Spain during the first half of the nineteenth century. Donato Garcia likewise promoted the careers of very important future teachers at the Military Academy of Engineers, Natural Sciences Museums, and Universities, integrating oral lectures, mineral testing, visual recognition, and the use of crystallographic models. This paper investigates how the crystallographic system proposed by Haüy (in the mid-thirties) was assimilated through unpublished documents of Donato García's mineralogical lessons from 1824 to 1825, obtained from Spain's Archivo General de Palacio (Madrid). Hence, this manuscript can be considered the first scientific work reliably attributable to Donato and based on the notes of his pupil José Musso y Valiente, which stands as an early attempt to create a handbook of mineralogy in Spanish. The novel approach to teaching mineralogy is furthermore compared with lessons published by disciple Antonio María Cisneros y Lanuza in 1843. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opalized oak specimens with striking beauty, attributed to Clover Creek, Lincoln County, Idaho, can be seen in numerous museums around the world. Even the casual observer notes the fossil wood grain, reminiscent of modern oak. The provenance of these 'golden oak' specimens was a small, unique deposit. Historical documents, photographs and oral histories provide insights into the 1895 fossil discovery, its subsequent excavation, promotion, and distribution. Land surveys in the years immediately following Idaho statehood in 1890 are linked to the fossil discovery. Local farmers, related by marriage, excavated and promoted the fossil wood. A spectacular longitudinal cut specimen was featured on the cover of A. E. Foote's 1897 mineral catalog. Archived correspondence establishes that specimens were promoted privately before being offered publicly. Current research indicates some specimens suffered fungus damage while the tree was alive. Previously unknown museum specimens are described and incorporated into a hypothetical reconstruction of the fossil tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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