department of mineralogy. 221 



Department of Mineralogy. 



I. — Arrangement. 



A small series of specimens to illustrate the minerals 

 mentioned in the Bible have been selected from the General 

 Collection, and placed on exhibition in a case in the Pavilion. 



The large Crocoite specimens from Tasmania have been 

 cleaned and mounted for exhibition in a special case on the 

 wall in the Gallery. 



The Pennant collection of minerals, has been arranged in its 

 original cabinet as nearly as possible in the order in which it 

 was catalogued by Pennant. The Pennant cabinets have been 

 carefully restored and are placed in the rock-room.. 



The arrangement of a Students' Series of minerals and rocks 

 in two new cabinets has been commenced. 



The Asiatic rock-specimens belonging to the Geological 

 Society's Collection have been arranged topographically, partly 

 in the new cabinets in the basement corridor and partly in 

 drawers in the gallery. 



In connection with the examination of rocks from various 

 countries the following collections have been re-arranged : 

 — Rock-specimens from Madagascar, Sir Martin Conway's 

 collection from the Karakoram Himalayas, Sir J. C. Ross' 

 collections from the Antarctic, W. K. Loftus' collection from 

 Persia, and various sets of rocks from India. 



Many specimens have been removed from the collection 

 of " rock-species " to their places in the topographical 

 collections. 



The french-polishing of the Meteoric Irons which showed 

 signs of rusting has been continued. 



Eighty-eight boxes or parcels of mineral and rock-specimens 

 have been unpacked and examined ; ninety boxes have been 

 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, and many specimens belonging 

 to the Geological Society's Collection have been registered. 



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 Haloids, Oxides, and 

 Carbonates. In the course of this work slips have been prepared 

 for the specimens of ilmenite, pseudobrookite, goethite, diaspore, 

 manganite, gibbsite, limnite, turgite, and limonite ; topo- 

 graphical lists have been prepared for all the species in the 

 Haloids and Oxides Divisions which have been catalogued ; the 



