140 accounts, etc., of the british museum. 



Department of Mineralogy. 

 I . — A rrangemevt. 



The Church Collection o£ Precious Stones has been re-arrang(>d 

 and placed in an exhibition case under the archway leading to the 

 Pavilion, and a special electric light has been provided lor the 

 over-head illumination o£ the stones. The Bible-Minerals case has 

 at the same time been removed from its former position in the 

 Pavilion and placed under the archway, opposite the Church Col- 

 lection case, and is similarly illuminated. 



The large series of topaz and beryl and the smaller neigh- 

 bouring species (andalusite, kyanite, fibrolite, allophane, pilolite, 

 halloysite, &c.) have been re-arranged in the case-tops and in the 

 drawers, the specimens of each species being brought together into 

 one case (instead of breaking across the centre of the gallery), and 

 the arrangement has been made topographical as far as is consistent 

 with the effective display of the specimens. Many of the single 

 isolated smaller crystals have been removed from the pedestals, 

 labelled, and placed in the drawers. 



The specimens of spodumene, tremolite, and actinolite have been 

 re-arranged in the case-tops. 



Rock specimens have been transferred from the Gallery to the 

 Rock room. 



Forty-two boxes of mineral and rock specimens have been 

 received, unpacked, and examined, and forty-eight boxes have 

 been packed and despatched. 



II. — Rer/istration, Inde;vin;f, dini Catalof/uiiu/. 



All the specimens of minerals, rocks, and meteorites acquired 

 during the year have been registered, numbered, provided with 

 permanent labels, and incorporated in the collection. In this con- 

 nection many specimens have been examined and determined- and 

 localities checked. 



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 connection 

 permanent labels liave been written, checked, and placed with the 

 specimens of thorite, rutile, anatase, brookite, baddeleyite, mela- 

 nophlogite, cristobalite, tridymite, chalybite, rhodochrosite, calamine, 

 chessylite, and malachite ; the permanent labels which had- already 

 been written for the species cassiterite have been placed with the 

 specimens ; the writing of labels for the large group including 

 quartz, chalcedony, and agate, has been in progress ; and slips and 

 labels have been written for the specimens of limonite not included 

 in the main Collection. 



