426 Reports and Proceedings — Geologists' Association. 



all placed at Prof. Phillips's disposal. Phillips adds — "An attentive 

 examination of this rich collection rendered it unnecessary to study 

 minutely the less extensive series pi'eserved in other cabinets ..... 

 most of the figures of fossils are taken from specimens in Mr. Gilbert- 

 son's Collection, because these were generally the best that could 

 be found." 



The Gilbertson Collection was purchased for the British Museum 

 in 1841. 



The collections which follow mark a distinct era in the annals of 

 Geological Science. 



Some forty-seven years ago a little society was founded by a few 

 London geologists, namely — Dr. J. Scott Bowerbank, F.R.S., Searles 

 V. Wood, P.G.S., Prof. John Morris, F.G.S., Alfred White, P.L.S., 

 Nathaniel T. Wetherell, F.G.S,, James de Carle Sowerby, P.L.S., 

 and Frederick E. Edwards, F.G.S., for the purpose of illustrating 

 the Eocene Mollusca, and entitled the " London-Clay-Club." 



They met at stated periods at each other's houses, and after a time 

 they said, " Why shoiild we not illustrate all the fossils of the 

 British Islands, and from every formation ? " No sooner proposed 

 than a society was founded, called the Paleeontographical Society, 

 in the year 1847 (just forty years ago). The first volume, issued 

 in that year, was " The Crag Mollusca, Part I., Univalves," by Mr. 

 Searles V. Wood, F.G.S. (with 21 plates). 



You have here before you the actual " Searles Wood Crag Collec- 

 tion." This collection was commenced in 1826, and occupied about 

 30 3'ears in its formation. It represents the Molluscan fauna of 

 the Ped and Coralline Crags of the neighbourhood of Woodbridge, 

 and from Aldborough, Chillesford, Sudbourn, Orford, Butley, Sutton, 

 Eamsholt, Felixstow, and many other localities in Suffolk, also from 

 Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex. The specimens so collected were 

 employed by Mr. Searles Wood in the preparation of his Monograph 

 on the Crag Mollusca, published by the Palseontographical Society 

 (1848-1861); with supplements in 1871, 1873, and 1879, illus- 

 trated by seventy-one quarto plates. Each figured specimen is 

 indicated by having a small green label affixed to it. 



A geological description of the Crag formation by Mr. S. V. Wood,, 

 jun., F.G.S., and Mr. F. W. Harmer, was issued by the Paleeonto- 

 graphical Society in 1871 and 1873. 



The collection was presented by Mr. S. V. Wood to the British 

 Museum, January'', 1856, and a supplementary collection was given 

 by Mrs. Searles V. Wood in 1885. 



The next " Paleeontographical Collection " is of nearly equal 

 antiquity and fully of equal merit. It is the Eocene Molluscan 

 Collection formed by the late Frederick B. Edwards, F.G.S., about 

 the year 1835, and was continually being added to, until a few years- 

 before his death, which happened in 1875. It was acquired for the 

 nation by purchase in 1873. 



Originally intended to illustrate the fossils of the London Clay, 

 Mr. Edwards extended his researches over the Eocene strata of 

 Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, where, assisted by Mr. 



