Geological Survey of Great Britain. 237 
other hand, it sometimes becomes necessary to enrich the 
collection by direct purchase. 
By exhibiting specimens of the industrial products of an- 
cient times, it is sought to illustrate the improvements and 
the progressive development which have taken place since 
the earlier periods of art. 
Without entering farther into particulars, I will only add, 
that the collection of building-stones which gave rise to the 
establishment of the whole Museum, acquires on that account 
a special interest. The specimens are chiselled cubes of six 
inches in the side, some of which are polished for the better 
exhibition of the character of the stone. On the label is 
noted, not only the quarry from which they are taken, but 
there is also mention of the most important erections in which 
they have been employed. In the paleontological depart- 
ment, which is also at present in another /oca/e, the examina- 
tion and determination of the fossils is effected by the pale- 
ontologists ; and, whatever they discover to be new, is drawn 
and engraved, and published in the Memoirs of the Geological 
Survey. 
The laboratory serves not only to carry out investigations 
and analyses which are necessary for the Survey, but, for cer- 
tain fees, objects brought by private persons with this view 
are examined. 
The collections of mining plans and statistical documents 
in the Mining Record Office, are principally dependent on the 
liberality of private individuals, since there is no obligation 
on the owners of mines to communicate them ; and, in fact, 
it does not appear that in either of the districts examined 
any difficulty has been experienced in obtaining the needful 
data ; the alterations produced by the progress of the opera- 
tions will be entered from time to time. Particular attention 
is directed to the acquisition of the maps and plans of mines 
which have been abandoned, in order to supply the desired 
data at some later period, when, as so frequently occurs, an 
old work of this kind is to be opened afresh. 
Results obtained. 
As the most important of the results obtained, we may un- 
doubtedly regard the geological maps and sections, published 
