for the year 1877i xxi 



arrangement and proper display. Over 3000 specimens 

 have been added, and amongst the most recent and 

 interesting are the collections received from America 

 through the instrumentality of Mr. George Collins Levey. 

 These collections comprise — 1. Ingenious mechanical con= 

 trivances; 2. Manufactured metals, and the ores, fuels, 

 fluxes, &c., used in smelting ; 3. Rare and interesting rocks 

 and minerals from the United States ; 4. A collection of the 

 rocks and minerals of the Dominion of Canada, presented 

 through Mr. Levey by Mr. A. E,. C. Selwyn ; 5. A collection 

 of seeds, amongst which the varieties of wheat are to he 

 specially noted (advantage has been taken to distribute, 

 through the Department of AgTiculture, a portion of each 

 sample to growers in the country) ; 6. Manufactured fibres, 

 American cottons, &c. The publications of the year have 

 been limited to a catalogue of the Timbers of Victoria, which 

 contains all available information as to the value of our 

 trees or timbers in manufacture. The walls and pillars in 

 the museum are being made to answer the purpose of 

 catalogues by being covered with copious instructive notes 

 to assist the interested visitor in his studies. 



Since the abolition of the department of the Geological 

 Survey by the Government, the geological work of the 

 colony has been carried on under the auspices of the Mining 

 Department; and if one can judge from the maps and 

 reports, and more especially from the admirable report of 

 progress recently issued by the Secretary for Mines, there 

 can be no doubt that this branch of science, at least in so far 

 as it bears upon the development of the resources of the 

 country, is by no means neglected. The formation of the 

 geological maps of the colony, commenced by Mr. Selw3rQ, 

 is still going on ; nearly 5000 square miles have been 

 embraced in sketch-maps on a scale of 2 in. to the mile, and 

 other maps are in progress; the most important among 



