PROCEEDINGS OP PROVINCIAL SOCIETIES. 103 



a building suitable for the purpose was completed in 1829. It is in 

 the Grecian style, with an elevated Doric front, and consists, on the 

 basement, of dwelling apartments for the sub-curator, laboratory, 

 workshop, and two rooms occupied with antiquities, the larger of 

 the two being devoted to such as are architectural, of which a rich 

 store was found in excavating for the formation of the new build- 

 ing. These excavations were prosecuted until the foundations and 

 former extent of those monastic buildings were traced out, of which 

 some splendid remains still exist above ground, but the original ex- 

 tent of which remained a secret, till brought to light by these explo- 

 rations. An account of the whole, illustrated by numerous and 

 beautiful plates, was drawn up under the auspices of the Society by 

 one of its members (Rev. C. Wellbeloved)^ and published by the 

 Society of Antiquaries. The ground floor consists of a vestibule, 

 library, council-room, an elegant lecture-room, opening to the right 

 into the mineralogical room, and to the left into the geological de- 

 partment ; these two rooms communicate with each other at the 

 other extremity by means of the zoological room, which is fitted up 

 with a gallery, the whole suite being well lighted from above. 

 The upper story consists of three rooms ; one for duplicate and un- 

 arranged specimens ; another for antiquities and rarities, and the 

 bones of a Whale cut up on the Holderness shore a few years ago, 

 and which is intended to be mounted for public inspection ; the 

 third is occupied by the specimens of Comparative Anatomy, &c., 

 belonging to James Atkinson, Esq. The stone with which the 

 building is fronted was presented by Sir J. V. B. Johnson, Bart. 



On the 27th of Sept. 1830, the Society had the gratification and 

 high honour of accommodating within its walls those distinguished 

 scientific men who first planned the British Association ; and of 

 giving birth in their institution to that Society now so prosperous 

 and widely extended ; and which appears likely to exert so perma- 

 nently beneficial an influence on British science. 



Three years ago the zoological room was fitted up with glass cases 

 and a gallery, at an expense of £500, the greater part of which was 

 raised by subscription among the members. The collections in many 

 departments have progressively and rapidly increased. The geolo- 

 gical room, in particular, is one of the best arranged and most con- 

 venient for reference and instruction, in the kingdom, and reflects 

 the greatest credit on the keeper of the museum, John Phillips, 

 Esq., professor of geology in King's College, London, whose labours 

 have been principally instrumental in bringing it to its present state 

 of perfection. This room contains a good collection of specimens, 

 from almost every British stratum having organic remains, arrang- 

 ed according to their geological position in the earth ; also an inter- 

 esting collection of fossils from the Paris basin, and one equally in- 

 teresting of tertiary fossils from Sicily, lately presented by the Mar- 

 quis of Northampton. Anumg the fossils is the jaw of a Didelphis, 

 which possesses a high value from its being one of the only five spe- 

 cimens known to attest the existence of genuine Mammalia at so 



