ACCOUNTS, ESTIMATES, &C. OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM^ tg 



An extensive Collection of Mammalian remains, including the jaws, detached teeth, and 

 bones of different parts of the Skeleton of a very large species of Elephant. These Speci- 

 mens were collected on the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts by the Rev. J. Lay ton ; many of 

 them having been obtained by dredging. 



Of the Invertebrate Classes, the British portion of the Collection has received about 200 

 Specimens from the Middle Eocene of Stubbington, Hants, and many smaller Collections 

 from different localities. 



The above Collections have been obtained by purchase. 



The principal objects obtained by donation are : 



Cast of the Skull of Diprotodon Australis ; of Skull and lower jaw of Nototherium 

 Mitchelli ; and of upper jaw of Nototlierium inerme; presented by the Trustees of the 

 Museum of Natural History, of Sydney. 



A series of remains of small Mammalia and Reptiles from Sansan ; presented by 

 M. Lartet. 



Some Fossils of the Northern Drift, of Aberdeenshire; presented by Thomas F, Jamieson, 

 Esq. 



Crag Shells, from Suffolk ; presented by Searles Wood, Esq. 



Tertiary Shells, from Australia; presented by James S. Wilson, Esq. 



Tertiary Shells, from Egypt; presented by Miss E. Warne. 



The Cretaceous Fossils have been augmented by donations from Professor Bayle ; 

 N. T. Wetherell, Esq. ; Albert Flambrough, Esq. ; H. S. Day, Esq. ; Alex. Mc Kenzie, Esq. ; 

 and W. Cunnington, Esq. 



The donors of Specimens belonging to the Oolitic and Lias formations are : 

 J. Leckenby, Esq,; James Harrison, Esq. ; J. W. Butler, Esq. ; Joshua Brown, Esq. ; and 

 F. Bravender, Esq. 



Of Palaeozoic Fossils, donations have been received from W. Lock hart, Esq.; George 

 Robbins, Esq.; Dr. Kutourga ; and John O. Middleton, Esq. 



About 3,300 Specimens, ha.ving been submitted to examination, have been catalogued 

 and incorporated in the general Collection exhibited to the public; some portions of this 

 Collection have been partially re-arranged, such as the Ruminantia, and Pachydermata 

 amongst the Quadruped remains, and some have been wholly re-arranged, such as the 

 Edentate Quadrupeds and the Collection of Cirripedes, which latter order has been classed 

 and named in accordance with Mr. Darwin's Monograph upon that group of Articulate 

 Animals. The Fossil Plants were arranged many years since, but in such a manner 

 that additional species could not conveniently be incorporated with them ; the Collection, 

 however, having been augmented by a very large number of additional Specimens, it was 

 found necessary to re-arrange the whole; this work is in part accomplished, the Coniferse, 

 Cycadeae, and Lycopodiaceae being completed, not only as to their arrangement, but the 

 Specimens have been carefully examined and named. The arrangement of the Fossil Ferns 

 is in progress. 



George Robert Waterhouse. 



Department of Mineralogy. 



The Collection of Minerals is in a good state of preservation, and, considering the great 

 number of years that most of the specimens have been exhibited to the public, the clean 

 condition of the major part of them proves the excellent construction of the table cases. In 

 the work done on the Mineral Collection, since the appointment of the present Keeper, the 

 ultimate re-anangement of the whole in a uniform and scientific order of classification has 

 been held in view. 



But, for such an arrangement to be complete, the Collection will need the addition of a 

 considerable number of Minerals, either inadequately represented now or not represented 

 at all. 



Throughout the greater part of the series exhibited in the table cases, labels have been 

 affixed to the specimens, stating their localities, wherever these could be assigned with 

 authenticity ; and this important work is still in progress, A commencement has also been 

 made in the grouping of the IVIinerals, with a view to their final classification : several of 

 those so dealt with have been freshly mounted, and, where necessary, cleaned. 



But the exact and definitive arrangement of a large number of Minerals will be impracti- 

 cable until the means are furnished to the Department for examining the Minerals by 

 those chemical, crystallographic and optical methods which, in the present advanced state 

 of mineralogy, are indispensable for their exact discrimination. Until there is a proper 

 room for chemical, as well as one for crystallographic and optical, researches, the arrange- 

 ment of the Minerals can only be provisional. 



The specimens scattered without definite order through a great number of drawers have 

 been for the most part collected into groups and arranged separately ; and several fine 

 Minerals from among them have been placed in the table cases. 



36 — Sess. 2. C 2 The 



