CXXXI1V ANNIVERSARY MEETING. 
having been honoured by their request, I have felt it my duty to give 
the best opinion in my power, however unworthy of attention. 
Won. LONSDALE. 
Bath, Dec. 27th, 1845. 
From Prof. Forbes. 
Considerations respecting the Museum of the Geological Society. 
1. The plan of the present collection appears to me too extensive to 
be followed out by the Society, with the space and means at its 
disposal. 
2. Since that plan is almost identical with the part of the arrange- 
ments to be displayed in the Museum of Economic Geology, is it 
desirable that such should be imperfectly attempted when a better 
may be adopted? | 
The following plan appears to me preferable in many respects :— 
1. To draw no distinction between British and Foreign collections ; 
but to assemble the organic remains in the lower Museum, and the 
rock-specimens in the upper (weeding the collections of all unne- 
cessary specimens). 
2. The paleontological collection to consist of a limited number of 
well-marked specimens, of as many species as possible, arranged in 
the following manner :— 
The greater stratigraphical divisions to be maintained (as the 
three tertiary groups; the cretaceous, oolitic, liassic, and the 
several palzeozoic groups). 
The fossils included in each of the divisions to be arranged in 
Nat. Hist. order. 
The minor stratigraphical divisions not to be maintained sepa- 
raiely, as at present, but to be carefuliy mdicated, either by the 
colour of the card or by some other conspicuous sign. 
The British and Foreign specimens to be placed in contiguous, 
but not in the same, drawers. 
In the upper room a well-selected series of rock-specimens 
(sedimentary and volcanic) to be arranged, the former in strati- 
graphical, the latter in (mineralogical?) order. 
Such a collection would afford great facilities for the study 
and comparison of fossils, and would oblige those studying it 
and writing about organic remains to look beyond British forms 
only, which too few im this country have been in the habit of 
doing, and which too many will never do till they are obliged. 
I believe there is ample material and space for such a collec- 
tion, and that the present arrangement can never be satisfactorily 
carried out. 
