266 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



geological and mineralogical specimens, which 

 have been cut and polished. "We will begin 

 with the geographical part. 



This was begun only in 1821; it is intended 

 to offer, if we may be allowed the expression, 

 a text of the data on which the arrangement 

 of formations in the preceding room has been 

 founded. It is composed of a series of rocks, 

 which are generally from places very distant 

 from each other, and which represent the pecu- 

 liar constitution of these different points on the 

 surface of the globe. When the series is more 

 numerous and complete, they may be considered 

 as so many \vitnesses, proving the exactness of 

 the place which shall have been assigned to each 

 formation in the structure of the solid crust of 

 the earth. They are dispersed around the room, 

 and in the order of the space which was unoccu- 

 pied at the time of receiving them. Beginning 

 by the cases to the right on entering, the lower 

 parts of which they occupy with only a few ex- 

 ceptions, we successively find : 



ist. The rocks of Greenland, collected and pre- 

 sented by M. Giesecke, geological professor at 

 Dublin. 



2d. The rocks of the islands of Saint Pierre and 

 Miquelon, near the bank of Newfoundland, sent 

 by M. de la Pilaye. 



