54 



EXCURSION TO THE KUSKIN MUSEUM. 



The fifth excursion of the present season took place on Saturday, June 

 21st, the place visited being the Ruskin Museum, Meersbrook Park, 

 Sheffield. The party, which proceeded by the 1.25 train (London express), 

 ■was in excellent hands. Mr. H. Bendelack Hewetson, M.R.C.S., F.Z.S., 

 who kindly acted as leader, knows intimately the j^riceless treasures which 

 the Museum contains. On arriving at Sheffield those present, numbering 

 about twenty, were quickly conveyed to Meersbrook Park, a distance of a 

 little short of two miles, the site of the new Museum, from which point 

 exceedingly pretty views are obtainable. The Park and immediate 

 surroundings most favourably impressed the members, and a very pleasant 

 and profitable afternoon was spent. The very courteous and able curator, 

 Mr. William White, explained in detail many of the interesting objects in 

 the Museum. The party were first conducted to the room which contains 

 the casts and minerals, and these were interpreted by Mr. Hewetson and 

 Mr. White. 



The casts are the exact representatives in plaster of specimens of the 



highest sculptured art of Venice in her prime, and of early Gothic carvings 



from cathedrals in Normandy. These choice works were most carefully 



produced by Mr. Ruskin without regard to the expense involved in the 



process, full liberty and every facility having been at all times granted to 



him by the difi'erent local authorities for the prosecution of his unusual 



labours. The largest of the series include the "Largitas" and other 



capitals, and four " Flying Angels" from the Ducal Palace ; the Virtues, 



carved bosses, and scrolls, from St. Mark's (Venice) ; and amongst the 



smaller productions are " Aristotle " and birds and grapes from the Ducal 



Palace, and from Rouen the Seveu Days of Creation, the Vices, and two 



Garden of Eden subjects, besides borders and fragments of friezes. Next 



followed a description of the minerals comprising a series of agates in 



perfect variety of their different forms, including many examples in 



elucidation of their origin and development, in relation to flint and 



chalcedony, jasper, quartz, and other siliceous products, the study of 



which has occupied Professor Ruskin's attention throughout a lifetime. 



It maybe remembered that a valuable collection of these minerals, which 



was presented by him to the nation, and which is accompanied by a special 



catalogue from his pen, occupies an important position in the British 



Museum Gallery at South Kensington. Not the least interesting of the 



specimens in the Meersbrook series are some of the brecciated agates and 



pseudomorphic pudding-stone forms which have been so abstrusely studied 



by Mr. Ruskin with the result of forming a basis of a new theory as to 



the real character of such examples. 



The various forms of quartz crystallisation are illustrated by many 

 beautiful examples, while native silver and gold in difi'erent matrices 

 richly furnish another case. Indeed, where there is such a wealth of 

 grand specimens of mineral forms, it is difficult to refer briefly to them ; 



