22 ACCOUNTS, ESTIMATES, &C. OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Department of Mineralogy. 



The past year has been one of considerable progress in the department of Mineralogy. 



The now splendid and in some respects unrivalled Collection of Minerals has been enriched 

 by additions of great importance, conspicuous among which is the Collection of Mr. Greg. 

 The re-arrangement of the whole exhibited Collection has been actively proceeded with. 

 This re-arrangement, however, is a work of great magnitude, involving, in fact, a recasting 

 of the entire Collection. For, the important additions of the last few years, including 

 those of 1860, have necessitated a redistribution of the space occupied by the several 

 divisions of the series, and have at the same time rendered it advisable to withdraw from 

 the cases into reserve drawers many specimens, whose places could be filled with others of 

 higher interest to ti)e mineralogist, and of greater attractiveness for the general public. 



With this redistribution of the space has been associated the arrangement of the 

 Collection, in conformity wiih a classification founded on the chemical and crystallo- 

 graphical characteristics of Minerals, as elaborated in the work of Dr. Gustav Rose, of 

 Berlin. 



Arrangements for a complete and conspicuous method of generic labelling throughout 

 the Collection are in progress, and will be \ntYoduced pa7'i passu with the advance of the 

 re-arrangement in its several divisions. 



The additions made to the Collection during the past year, without reference to the 

 purchase from Mr. Greg, amount to 9^8 entries in the catalogue, representing considerably 

 above 1,000 specimens, and among these, the following may be specified us a few of the 

 most imjoortant : — 



Three Meteorites, presented by the Secretary of State for India in Council; one a mass 

 of stone, 25 lbs. weight, from Durala, Ludhiana, seen to fall on the 18th of February 1815. 

 A portion of the Shalka Meteorite. 

 And a mass, of which the locnlity of the fall Is at present uncertain. 



A valuable series of Tuscan Minerals, presented by the Cavaliere Sloane, of Florence, 

 including fine masses of Copper Ore from that gentleman's mines ; among these are some 

 interesiing Minerals of the zeolitic class, peculiar to that district, such as Sloanite, Picra- 

 nalcime, and Caporcianite; also specimens of Savite and Lardarelhte, &c. 



A splendid series of Apophyllite, Stilbite, Heulandite, and other zeolites in crystals, and 

 in grouped masses of these, on a colossal scale, from the railway cuttings and tunnels in 

 the coarse of construction through the Ghauts near Bombay; collected and presented by 

 James Berkeley, Esq., Chief Engineer on the Great Indian Peninsular Railway. 



A polished slab of finely tinted Labradorite; pi'esented by P. Dudgeon, Esq. 



Among the more valuable acquisitions by purchase, may be instanced, — 



A very fine crystal of Emerald, Siberia. 



A beautiful group of Rubelliies from Elba. 



Russian Phenakite. 



iEschynite, doubly terminated. 



Eukolite (Brevig). 



Cronstedtite Przibram. 



A large specimen of Macrite. 



Specimens of Chlorastrolite. 



A mass, probably unique, of fine blue Kyanite, in crystals of great perfection. 



Prehiiite, from Tyrol. 



Very finely crystallised Chabasite, from Kilmalcolm. 



Cobalt mauganise spar. 



Carbonate ot Silver (?), (Black Forest). 



Calcite, a mass of " doubly refracting Spar," exhibiting an internal conchoidal fracture; 

 Iceland. 

 „ Also splendidly grouped Crystals, partly in large twins, partly in slender acutely 



terminated prisms ; Cornwall. 

 „ And also a Crystal of large dimensions ; Derbyshire. 

 Lazulites, a series of deep blue Crystals, from Saltzburg, obtained by exchange from 

 Mr. Mayevhofern, of that district. 

 „ Also a very fine series of the Crystals from the Georgian locality, United 



States ; purchased of Professor Shepard. 

 Johannite, in fine little crystals. 

 Akanthite, from Freiburg. 



Hauerite,a fine specimen with hemhiedral modifications. 

 Bishmuthite, Cornwall. 

 Stephanite, Freiburg. 



F\ rrhotine, in large^and resplendent Crystals, Brazil. 

 Chloride of Silver, Cornwall, crystallised. 



„ And also Bromite and Embolite, Chili. 



• Fluors 



