1848 ERECTION OF JERMYN STREET MUSEUM 121 



as regards its field-work and the issue of its maps. 

 He stated that the maps completing South Wales and 

 extending into North Wales would soon be published, 

 and that considerable progress had been made in the 

 Survey and publication of the maps of Herefordshire, 

 Shropshire, Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire. He 

 spoke also of the satisfactory advance of the field-work 

 in North Wales and Derbyshire, and referred to the 

 commencement of the publication of the maps of the 

 Irish branch of the Survey now under his direction. 

 But perhaps the most important announcement made 

 by him was that in which he stated that the collections 

 in the Museum of Practical Geology having so greatly 

 increased, * the Government is now erecting the con- 

 siderable building, which the members of this Society 

 may have observed extending from Piccadilly to 

 Jermyn Street, where these collections, illustrating 

 both the science and applications of geology, can be 

 made properly accessible to the public.' 1 



The planning and erecting of this new edifice 

 occupied much of De la Beche's time and thoughts for 

 several years, and many were the consultations which 

 he had with the various members of his staff on the 

 subject. His scheme gradually enlarged as he found 

 he could carry the Government authorities with him, 

 until, in 1851, he saw the new Museum completed, and 

 with it the realisation of the bold idea to found a great 

 educational establishment which he had aimed at so 

 many years before. 



Besides the fact that his chief was now president, 

 Ramsay had the additional reason for attending the 

 meetings of the Geological Society, that he had been 

 elected a member of the Geological Club. This was 



1 Anniversary address, Quart. Journ. GeoL Soc. vol. iv. 1848, p. 81. 



