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



Department of Mineralogy. 



# 



The additions to the Mineral Collections during the past year have been 54G in 

 number, and they include crystallised specimens of considerable importance to the Collec- 

 tion, as well as specimens of two meteoric stones that are new to it. 



The work of the Department on the Mineral Collection has consisted In the continuation 

 of the arrangement and description of the portions reserved in drawers, and this has now 

 reached to the Mica group ; the formation of a special Catalogue of the facetted and other 

 ornamental stones in the Collection ; and the continuation of the work on the scientific 

 descriptive Catalogue of the whole Collection. 



This Catalogue, which is intended to give a crystallographic or otherwise descriptive 

 notice of every mineral in the Collection, will be founded on geometrical measurements 

 and calculation, illustrating one or more crystals from almost every crystallised specimen, 

 and is necessarily a work of time and slow in progress. It is nevertheless in a forward 

 state for so far as to the end of the Sulpharsenides. 



The whole of the specimens of Cinnabar and of Copper Pyrites has been catalogued, 

 and the description of the specimens of Iron Pyrites is nearly finished. 



The crystallogi-aphic work done on the earlier portions of the Catalogue has also been 

 under revision with a view to the publication of a first part as soon as it can be 

 completed. 



Petrology. — The production of sections for the microscope from the more characteristic 

 rocks has been extended to 266 fresh rocks, and these have been studied and described ; 

 and a Catalogue has been made of the rock sections in the Department. , 



The following are the more important acquisitions made during the year 1878 : — 



£y Presentation : — 



Br/ CcBsar Chantre, Esq. : — 

 Specimens of Galena and Realgar with Orpiment, deposited by sublimation in the 

 Ricamarie Mine, St. Etienne, Loire, France. 



Sy F. Gillman, Esq. : — 

 Cinnabar from Delar, four leagues from Guadix, Sierra Nevada, Spain. 



By Richard Boyns, Esq. : — 

 Bismutlte, Wheal Owles, St. Just, Cornwall. 



By Prof. A. H. Church, F.G.S. .— 

 A worked specimen of transparent colourless Serpentine, from Japan. 



By Prof. Abel, F.R.S., §t. : — 

 Garnlerite, Noumcea, New Caledonia. 



By E. Muirhead, Esq. ; — 

 Almandine Garnet, India. 



By Prof. R. Harkness : — 

 Massive Idocrase, Wastdale Head, Westmoreland. 



By Prof. J, fV. Mallet, of Virginia : — 

 Specimens of Allanite and Sipyllte, from Amherst Co., Virginia, U.S.A. 



By J. H. Collins, Esq., F.G.S. : — 

 Duporthite in a serpentlnous rock. 



By Dr. Joseph Leidy, of Philadelphia: — 

 Specimens of Coquimbite, Coquimbo, Copiapo, Chili ; Erythrite with Asbolite and 

 Cobaltlte, and Lavendullte with Erythrite, from Chili. 



By E. S. Dana, Esq. : — 

 Specimens of Eosphorite, Triploidite, Dickinsonite, and Lithiophilite, all from Branch- 

 ville, Connecticut, U.S.A. 



By T. A. Gibb, Esq. :— 

 Almandine Garnet, " Cape Ruby," Kimberley, S. Africa. 



II. By Purchase or Exchange • — 

 A facetted blue-tinted Spinel. 



A large and nearly colourless Beryl, weight 272 grains. 

 A ramose group of large cubes of Native Copper, Lake Superior. 

 Fine specimens of Native Sulphur, Girgenti, Sicily. 

 Krennerlte (a telluride of gold), Nagyag, Transylvania. 

 Altaite, Gold Hill, Boulder Co., Colorado, U.S.A. 

 Sisserskite in crystals, Slssersk, Urals. 



Newjanskite, in crystals, Urals, and California, U.S.A. * 



Petzite, Melones mine, Califoruia, U.S.A., and from Rezbanya, Hungary. 

 Frieseite and Argentopyrite, Joachimsthal, Bohemia. 



1 70. F Freieslebenite 



