department of mineralogy. 101 



Department of Mineralogy. 

 I. — Arrangement. 



The Collection of Precious Stones formed by the late Sir Arthur 

 Church has been arranged according to species in a special case. 



Labels have been prepared and specimens selected and arranged 

 for an Introductory Series of minerals and rocks for the Central 

 Hall. 



A selection of the more valuable and unique specimens has been 

 removed from the Gallery and placed in a safe. 



Mineral and rock-specimens have been unpacked and examined, 

 and thirty-nine boxes have been packed and despatched. 



II. — Registration, Indexing, and Cataloguing. 



All the specimens of minerals, rocks, and meteorites acquired 

 during the year have been registered, numbered, labelled, and 

 incorporated with the Collection. 



The preparation of the slip-catalogues of the mineral-specimens 

 in the Collection, species by species, and of permanent labels giving 

 all available information for each specimen, has been continued for 

 the Divisions of the Oxides and Carbonates. In this connexion 

 permanent labels have been written and placed with the specimens 

 of minium, beauxite, chrysoberyl, calcite and magnesite ; permanent 

 labels have also been prepared for pyrolusite, crednerite, and 

 polianite ; and specimens belonging to Old Collections have been 

 labelled and entered in the General Register. 



The preparation of a copy of the three-volume MS. Catalogue of 

 the Allan-Greg Collection of minerals has been completed ; modern 

 names of species have been written in the headings ; and a new 

 index has been made. 



The history of the physical apparatus in the Department has 

 been investigated, and the items in the Catalogue of Instruments 

 have been arranged as far as possible in order of date of acquisition. 



The large collection of rock-specimens from the Cape Verd 

 Islands presented by Mr. Walter Child has been examined, num- 

 bered, and arranged. 



The preparation of a copy of the register of the specimens in the 

 Collection has been continued, and permanent labels containing 

 particulars drawn from the register have been prepared for the 

 specimens of minerals acquired during the year. 



III. — Preparation. 



165 thin-sections of rocks have been prepared, and thirteen 

 specimens of laterite have been cut. 



IV. — Investigation. 



The crystallographic examination of chabazite and the associated 

 minerals from Co. Antrim collected by Mr. F. N. Ashcroft has 



