232 Geological Survey of Great Britain. 
Sir H. De la Beche received the title of Director-General 
of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom, and the 
operations in England and Ireland were together placed un- 
der his direction. 
Mr Ramsay was made Director of the Survey in England, 
and Captain James, now succeeded by Mr Oldham, of that 
of Ireland. An Act of Parliament was passed, the 31st 
July 1845, to facilitate the investigations in the field; and, 
in order to conduct the operations on a more extended scale, 
the staff of the institution was considerably increased. Dr 
Playfair was appointed as a chemist, Mr Forbes as palzon- 
tologist, and Mr Warington Smyth for the surveying and 
examination of the mining districts. 
In the same manner the Museum received a great exten- 
sion. It was resolved to erect a new building, which is 
already completed in Piccadilly, London; a library, and a 
collection of models of mining, machinery, and implements, 
as well as plastic representations of the most important 
mining districts were brought together. From this time 
the operations proceeded with a rapidity corresponding with 
the increased numerical force, without the intervening 
changes of ministry having caused material delay. 
Besides the geological maps, which were always published 
as soon as a tolerably large portion of country was com- 
pleted, in 1846 the publication of the Memoirs of the Geo- 
logical Survey was commenced,—a work intended to make 
known the scientific labours of all persons employed in the 
institution. Up to the present moment three parts have ap- 
peared, to the contents of which I shall afterwards have 
occasion to refer. The Geological Survey was enabled to un- 
dertake the solution of numerous questions of immediate 
bearing on practical life, which were often connected with 
laborious investigations. As one of the most complete 
special investigations, I may instance the inquiry into the 
various qualities of coal, with respect to their fitness for 
steam navigation, instituted at the desire of the Lords of the 
Admiralty. In this inquiry, besides the heating power, the 
per-centage of ash, and other properties important in every 
application of this fuel, other points of particular importance 
