28 ACCOUNTS, &C. OF THli BRITISH MI'SKUM. 



The Laboratory has contributed valuable results during the past year. The difficult 

 and laborious investigation of the mineral constituents of Meteorites has been continued ; 

 those of Shalka and Manegaum having been entirely investigated, and the study of the 

 Breitenbach siderolite finished. The Craubourne iron has been also taken in hand. The 

 remarkable discovery in the Breitenbach meteorite of silica crystallised in the rhombic 

 system, with a specific gravity lower than that of quartz; the finding Enstatite, presenting 

 four various formulae in as many different meteorites ; the analysis of these, as well as of 

 the cbromite and of the other ingredients in the above meteorites, are among the results 

 thus obtained. Among the minerals analysed in the department are the Vivianite, from 

 Cornwall and from Fernando Po ; Halloysite, from India ; an Epidote, from lona ; and 

 Opal, from Abyssinia. 



The treatment of the large meteoric iron from Cranbourne, Australia, by means of 

 varnish, in order to protect it from further decomposition, has not been entirely successful. 

 The decomposition has, however, been partially arrested, and a more complete exclusion 

 of the air by means of other protecting substances is in course of trial. 



The following are the most important of the acquisitions made in the department 

 during the past year. 



By Presentation : — 



Native gold and sand from Helmsdale, Sutherland, by Sir Kenneth Mackenzie, Bart. ; 

 native Platinum, Southlands, New Zealand ; and Tasmanite, Tasmania, by George Foord, 

 Esq., Melbourne ; Nugget of Platinum (1,350 grains), Nijni-Tagilsk, Urals, by H. I. H. 

 the Duke of Leuchtenbersr. 



Si)ecimens of Salt, from the mines at Meadowbank, Winsford, Cheshire, by H. E. 

 Falks, Esq. 



Chlorargyrite, in crystals, and Lignite, Australia; also Elaterite, Adelaide, by Thos. 

 Dicker, Esq. 



A very large crystalline mass of richly coloured Rubellite, from Ava, by C. S. J. L. 

 Guthrie, Esq. 



Sixty-seven specimens of doleritic, trachytic, and other rocks of Abyssinia, by W. T. 

 Blanfbrd, Esq., f.g.s. 



Prase-Opal, Schorl, and an amygdaloidal dolerite, from Abyssinia, by C. E. Markham, 

 Esq. 



By Purchase : — 



Four Epistilbites, from Berufibrd, Iceland ; of M. Paijkull. 



Large crystal of Apatite, Reinthal, Gbschenen, Uri; and Thulite, in large crystals, 

 Greinerberg, Zillerthal, Tyrol ; through W. G. Lettsom, Esq. 



A remarkable series of specimens of the native Gold, from the Clogau and other mines 

 in North Wales ; of T. A. Readwin, Esq., f.g.s. 



Sj)ecimens of Sylvine, in large cubo-octahedrons, Stassfurth ; of deep blue salt, 

 Wieliczka, Poland ; Matlockites and Phosgenite, Matlock, Derbyshire ; a very large 

 crystal of Cassiterite, Spain ; a single crystal of smoky quartz, weighing 299 lbs., from 

 the Tiefen Glacier, Guttanen, Switzerland ; specimens of fibrous Eisenkiesel and Croci- 

 dolite, from the Orange River, South Africa. 



Specimens of Blue Corundum crystallized, Haute-Loire, France ; a large carbuncle 

 and a facetted white topaz. A large crystalline mass of Prehnite, Cradock, South Africa ; 

 Sphcne, Sella, St. Gotthard ; Pennine, Zermatt ; Adamite, Cape Garonne, Departement 

 du Var, France ; Celestine, Sicily ; and a deep blue Turquoise. 



Linarite from Leadhills, Lanarkshire ; and a very fine transparent crystal of greenish 

 yellow Beryl, from Mursinsk, Urals. 



Several fine crystallised specimens of Vivianite, Cronstedtite, Scorodite and Chalybite, 

 from different localities in Cornwall, of Mr. Richard Tailing. 



Fine specimens of crystallized Atacamite, from the Moonta mine. Wallaroo, South 

 Australia; Tridymite, Cerro San Cristobal, near Pachuca, Mexico; large crystallized 

 specimens of Pyromorphite, Braubach, Nassau ; Sternbergite, Schneeberg, Saxony ; 

 Adularia, Goscbenen, Uri ; Sphene, Kreuzlithal, Graubunden ; Sarcopside from near 

 Kynan, Silesia ; and Copper-Mica, Kheinbreitenbach, Rhine. 



Specimens of Native Lead, Pajsberg, Sweden ; Eucairite, Crookesite, and Berzelianite, 

 from the Skrikerum mine, Sweden; Chrysoberyl, Helsingfors; Jacobsite, Wermland, 

 Sweden ; Pyroaurite and Hamartite, Sweden ; Emerald in felspar, from Eidsvold, north 

 of Christiania; Pitkarandite, Ainalite, Ivaarite, and Tapiolite, from localities in Finland; 

 Hyalophane, Wermland ; Hielmite, from Fahlun, Sweden; Melanocerite, Norway ; Coal, 

 and Chondrodite, Spitzbergen. 



By Exchange : — 



Large crystals of Epidote, from Untersulzbach, Pinzgau, Salzburg; and crystals of 

 Sphene. Crystallized Chlorargyrite, from Idaho, U. S. A. 



The collection of Meteorites has been enriched by 21 new falls; obtained in part by 

 purchase, partly by exchange, while two have been presented to the Collection, viz. : 



By 



