36 ACCOUNTS, &.C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



100 Carboniferous plant-remains from Bohemia. 



19 Plant-remains, Coal measures, Grundy Co., Illinois. 



30 Plants from the Coal measures of Bohemia. 



The total acquisitions during the past year are as follows : — 



I. By Donation, A. Vertebrata - - - - 281 



II. „ Purchase, A. Vertebrata - - - - 1,077 



I. „ Donation, B. luvertebrata - - - - 709 



II. „ Purchase, B. Invertebrata - _ . 1,767 



I. „ Donation, C. Plantse ----- 20 



II. „ Purchase, C. Plantae - - - - 848 



Total - - - 4,702 



Geo. R. Wulerliouse. 



Department of Mineralogy. 



The specimens added to the Mineralogical Collections during the year 1877 were 

 3,260 in number. Besides 15 specimens of meteorites, they included the well-known 

 petrological collection formed by Mr. Allport of Birmingham ; a collection consisting 

 'argely of specimens of rocks from British localities, and illustrated by a series of excel- 

 lently worked mici'oscopic sections made by that gentleman for his petrological re- 

 searches. 



The remaining acquisitions have been registered, labelled, and distributed in their 

 places in the collection. 



The rocks and minerals that had accumulated during past times in drawers in the 

 basement have continued to occupy all the spare time of the Department. The largest 

 specimens, to the number of 300, have been cleaned and packed in cases in readiness for 

 future transportation to the New Natural History Museum. 



The rock collections that had previously been disj^ersed among those of duplicate 

 minerals, and were in 1876 collected into continuous sei'ies of drawers, have now under- 

 gone more detailed examination, the localities being assigned to the specimens where these 

 can be traced ; and the processes of cleansing and of arrangement are still in progress. 



Sections for the microscope have been prepared within the Department from 253 rock 

 specimens, by the aid of which the character of the rocks has been determined; and they 

 have been labelled in accordance with the results thus obtained. 



The Felspars in the 44th and 45th table cases have been re-grouped ; the sub-division 

 of the minerals hitherto classed as Orthoclase, into a monosymmetrical species ( Ortho- 

 clase), and an asymmetrical Felspar (Microcline), having been effected by the investiga- 

 tion of their optical characters. 



The working out of the materials for the Gleneral Catalogue has progressed more 

 slowly than heretofore in consequence of the Department having lost, through ill-health, 

 the services of the assistant, whose duty chiefly lay in the crystallographic part of the 

 work. The materials for the first part of the Catalogue are, however, in an advanced 

 state. 



The work in the Laboratory has been, as far as possible, confined to the analysis of 

 minerals, which will find their place in this part of the Catalogue ; but, recently, experi- 

 ments have been undertaken with a view to arrest the rapid oxidation which is destroying 

 certain of the masses of meteoric iron, through the action of ferrous chloride, present as an 

 ingredient of these meteorites. The experiments in question have for their purpose the 

 dissolving out of the mass the ferrous chloride, and otherwise enabling the iron to resist 

 further oxidation. With the same object in view of protecting the meteorites from 

 change, measures have been taken for preserving a dry atmosphere, and as nearly as may 

 be an uniform temperature in the cases which contain this part of the collection. 



Of the 15 specimens of meteorites acquired during the year, ten represent falls not 

 before in the Department, For seven of the specimens, the Museum is indebted to the 

 liberal initiative of H. B. Medlicott, Esq., m.a., f.r.s.. Director of the Geological Survey 

 of India, and the other authorities of the Imperial Museum at Calcutta, who, in offering 

 to the British Museum duplicates of their Meteorites of Indian origin, have received in 

 exchange a considerable collection of duplicate specimens of Minerals, including many 

 of the best at the Trustees' disposal as representing species desired by the Museum of 

 India. 



The 



