ACCOUNTS, &C., OP THE BRITISH MUSEUM. -^^ 



Depaktment of Mineralogy. 



During the year 1873, 1,297 specimens added to the Mineral Collection have been 

 registered, and labelled and incorporated. 



The work of examining and identifying the specimens preserved in the reserve drawers 

 of the General Collection has been pursued and completed with regard to above 3,000 of 

 these specimens. A MS. Catalogue of the late Mr. Heuland's, referring to 7,013 entries, 

 has also been carefully searched for information relative to the specimens, as well in the 

 General as in the Reserve part of the Collection, and the localities of numerous specimens 

 have been by this means satisfactorily ascertained. 



The Collection of Rocks has been augmented by additions chiefly from German and 

 S. African localities ; and microscopic sections for the jjurposes of study and classification 

 of the rocks have been made from the more important of them. 



The cases that hold the Meteorites have been rendered air-tight, and new fittings put 

 into them, with an arrangement for desiccating the air by means of quick lime ; and the 

 Aerolites have been re-arranged. 



The general classification and arrangement of the Collection is unchanged, but numerous 

 minor alterations have been made in the distribution of the species. 



Above 600 crystals have been re-arranged and many of them mounted and labelled 

 with their localities and descriptions. 



The work in the Laboi'atory has included the rectification of the composition and 

 formula of Caledonite and Lanarklte ; the analysis of the different ingredient minerals of 

 the Ornans Meteorite, and some valuable results regarding the influence of heat, alone, 

 and also in the presence of various gases, upon Meteoric Silicates. 



The following are the more important of the acquisitions during the year : — 



Sr/ Presentation : — 



A Collection of Minerals, especially valuable on account of some of the series of British 

 specimens which it contains, has been presented by Benjamin Bright, Esq. 



It was formed by the late Dr. Richard Bright and Benjamin Bright, Esq., of Bristol- 



Among the specimens that may be selected for their interest, are, — 



Dendritic sheets of Native Copper, Cornwall. 



Bismuth-Glance, Tavistock. 



Tetrahedrites, Crinnis mine, St. Austell, Cornwall. 



Bournonite, Endellion, Cornwall. 



Cassiterites, St. Agnes, Cornwall. 



Ruby in dolomite, Campolongo, St. Gotthard, Switzerland. 



Amethyst Quartz geodes and Agates, near Bristol. 



Chalcedony, Trevascus mine, Cornwall. 



Strontianites, Strontian, Argyleshire, and Pately Bridge, Yorkshire. 



Aragonite, Schwatz, Tyrol. 



Groups of Fontainebleau Sandstone. 



Specimens of Augite and Hornblende, New York, and Arendal, Norway. 



Large Crystals of Idocrase, Egg, near Christiansand, Norway. 



Amazonstone, Mursinsk, Urals. 



Emerald Crystals, Santa Fe de Bogota, New Granada and Peru. 



Euclase crystals, Minas Geraes, Brazil. 



Tourmalines, Bovey Tracey, Devonshire and Elba. 



Large Crystal of Sphene, Switzerland. 



Celestines from the new Red Marls near Bristol, and Lias in Somersetshire. 



Wiserine on iron-glance, St. Gotthard, Switzerland. 



Apatites, St. Gotthard, Switzerland. 



It also includes a collection of Rock specimens. 



Other presentations have been — 



Specimens of Wulfenite, Socorro mine, Linares, Spain, by Fritz Gillman, Esq., F.G.S. 



Witherites, Alstonites and Calcites, Fallowfield mine, Hexham, Northumberland, by 

 Dr. Stokoe. 



Pearl-spar from Wadswortli Moor, Yorkshire, by John Aitken, Esq. 



Actinolite with saussurite, Colafirth Voc, Shetland, by Patrick Dudgeon, Esq., and Dr. 

 F. Heddle. 



Iron Pyrites, botryoidal Blende and Copper Pyrites, New Rosewarne mine. Cornwall, 

 by W. Pike, Esq. 



Pectollte, Pauk Hill, Walsall, Staffordshire, and Gothite in serpentine, Caerleon Cove, 

 Cornwall, by Samuel Allport, Esq., r.G.S. 



30 Specimens of Rocks from South Africa, by E. J. Dunn, Esq. 



24 Specimens of Rocks from similar localities, by Dr. Shaw. 



The following specimens have been acquired by the exchange of duplicates : — 

 Warwickite in crystals, Edenville, Orange Co., New York ; Cinnabar and Meta 

 cinnabarite. Lake Co., California. 



Cryophyllite, Rockport, Massachusetts. 



121. F 3 Hiibnerite 



