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



Department of Mineralogy. 



After long postponement through the pressure of other work, the introduction of new 

 labels for the mineral species has been taken in hand during the year 1885. The old 

 labels had been written gradually in the course of 25 years, and thus differed much in 

 style and execution. After experiment it was decided to adopt printed labels of uniform 

 size and style, and to employ the old standards as supports to which they could be affixed. 

 Before printing it was desirable to revise the whole collection of species and varieties, and 

 to transfer to the drawers such as are too indefinite to be of real service to the student ; this 

 has been done, with the result that of 1,445 species and varieties, 222 have been placed 

 with the unexhibited specimens. Further, the names adopted for the species have been 

 reconsidered. The new labels give the name of each species, a simple statement of the 

 chemical composition, the chemical formula, and the crystalline system ; 5^438 labels for 

 551 species have been now printed, and 600 have been mounted and arranged in the 

 cases. 



The printing of the labels for the large specimens in the glazed ends of the cases having 

 been determined upon, the specimens were examined and some were laid aside as dupli- 

 cates, The labels for all the remaining specimens have been sent to press ; 1,152 labels of 

 216 kinds have been received from the printer. 



The opportunity was made use of for the careful cleansing of the specimens, and for the 

 re-distempering of the fittings, in four of the glazed ends. 



After the selection of additional specimens, the labels for the three cases, in which are 

 illustrated the characters of minerals, have been printed. 



493 specimens of dolerite and basalt, and the corresponding microscopic sections, 437 

 in number, have been examined, labelled and arranged. 



150 microscopic sections of the rock-specimens, collected in the Solomon Islands by 

 H. B. Guppy, Esq., and presented by him to the Trustees, have been examined, named 

 and labelled. 



221 microscopic rock-sections have been cut, polished and mounted. 



A new edition of the Guide to the Meteorites has been prepared, and is nearly ready 

 for the printer. 



In the intervals the descriptive catalogue of the specimens of pyrargyrite and proustite 

 has been continued ; specimens of monazite and connellite, recently obtained from 

 Cornwall, have been examined and described ; the Guide to the Mineral Gallei-y and the 

 Index to the Minerals have been revised and reprinted, and the laboratory has been com- 

 pletely overhauled and put into order. 



The mass of meteoric iron from South America, presented by Sir Woodbine Parish in 

 1826, and three large crystals of quai'tz, have been mounted on new mahogany pedestals. 



The preparation of a duplicate of the general register has been continued ; three volumes 

 have been copied during the year. 



The number of visits recorded as made to the Depai'tment for the purpose of consulta- 

 tion or study is 626. 



Departmental Library, 



To the Departmental Library have been added 32 separate works (in 44 volumes), 

 in addition to the current periodicals. 



127 volumes, with 333 plates, have been stamped. 



139 volumes have been bound. 



The whole of the Library is catalogued alphabetically, and press-marked. 



Acquisitions. 



711 specimens, namely, 495 simple minerals, 194 rocks, and 22 meteorites, have been 

 acquired during 1885. These have been registered, numbered, labelled, and placed in 

 their respective places in the collection. The more important of them are named below. 



Minerals. 



By Presentation : — 



Native Gold, Eastern Akim, Gold Coast ; fluor, Benue, Niger ; sard, Niger ;. chessy- 

 lite, Lagos, Gold Coast, Africa : by Captain C. A. Moloney. 



Native Sulphur ; Afco Mountain, Island of Mindanao, Philippine Islands : by Messrs. 

 Veitch & Sons. 



A crystal of spinel, and talc in the form of actinolite, W. side of the central ridge, 

 Madagascar : by Thomas Waters, Esq. 



Crystals of " jarrowite," Tyne Docks, South Shields: by the Natural History Society 

 of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 



Fibrous kammererite ; Cape Colony : by E. J . Dunn, Esq., r.&.s. 



A specimen 



