414 



NA TURE 



{Sept. I, 1887 



"The fragments of coral belong to Stylophorapalmata, 

 Blain., a common Red Sea species ; and the others to 

 the genera StyIof)hora and Echinopora, but too frag- 

 mentary for specific determination. 



" The beach sand has a mottled red and white appear- 

 ance. The particles are nearly all rounded, and have an 

 average diameter of 3 or 4 millimetres. They consist of 

 corals, Echinoderms, calcareous Alga;, Gasteropod and 

 Lamellibranch shells, and many Foraminifera. Among the 

 latter the following could be recognized : Paneroplis 



por/tisus, Forsk, ; Orbitolites coinplanata, Lam.; Rotalia 

 calcar, d'Orb. ; Aniphistegina Jessonii, d'Orb. 



" The hardened rock, ' from high-water line near 

 section 2, solid and firm in the sand and similar to the 

 slabs of the south-east shore,' is made up of precisely the 

 same particles as the sand above described, cemented by 

 the infiltration of carbonate of lime among the particles. 

 No mineral particles other than those of organic origin 

 were observed in the sand or hardened slabs." 



W. J. L. Wharton. 



THE OWENS COLLEGE NATURAL HISTORY 

 BUILDINGS. 



THE recently completed Natural History Museums 

 and Laboratories form an important addition not 

 merely to the Owens College itself but to the teaching 

 appliances of the country at large. 



The buildings, which, like the older part of the College, 

 are from the plans of Mr. Alfred Waterhouse, R.A , extend 

 along the north and east sides of the College quadrangle, 

 the main frontage being towards the Oxford Road. They 

 include a lofty central tower and entrance gateway, large 

 and convenient museums for the various departments of 



natural history, and a very extensive and well-equipped 

 series of laboratories for zoology, botany, geology, and 

 mineralogy, with lecture-theatres, class-rooms, and private 

 rooms for the professors and demonstrators. The total 

 cost, including fittings, will not be less than ;^8o,ooo. 



The general appearance of the new buildings from the 

 north-east is shown in the illustration. 



The Museum block extends along the eastern or 

 Oxford Road frontage, and is approached from the main 

 entrance beneath the central tower ; it is also in free 

 communication with the several laboratories. It consists- 

 of two main stories, the upper of which has its floor area 

 almost tripled by two very wide galleries, in addition to- 



Future Extension for 

 Library and Examination Hall. 



Museum Block. 

 View ok the New Buildings from the Oxford Road. 



Laboratory Block. 



which there is very extensive storage space in the roof. 

 The ground floor is divided into geological and mineralo- 

 gical museums, measuring respectively 90 feet by 50 feet, 

 and 65 feet by 26 feet, the former extending along the 

 Oxford Road, the latter facing north, towards Coupland 

 Street. These are lighted from the sides, and will be 

 divided into bays by the main cases, which are placed at 

 right angles to the walls, extending from them to the 

 ptUars supporting the roof. In the centre of each bay 

 there will be a large table case, and a smaller one under 

 the window. This arrangement gives at once a maximum 

 of light and a maximum of what is practically wall space ; 

 while the division into bays greatly facilitates the classifi- 



cation of the collections, and the different forms of case 

 in each bay enable objects of all kinds to be displayed to 

 advantage. 



The upper museum, which is approached by a very 

 handsome staircase in the tower, is similarly divided into 

 zoological and botanical portions. It is lighted both 

 from the sides and above, and the general arrange- 

 ment of the cases will be the same as in the lower 

 museum, with the addition of long rows of table cases 

 round the edges of the galleries. Two large rooms, for 

 use as articulating and preparation rooms, open directly 

 on to the floor of the museum. 



Owens College already possesses very important 



