in the British Museum, <S,r. 535 



right in looking on the total weight of the specimens in the 

 British Museum as more than counterbalanced by the superior 

 quality and greater number of stone-falls represented at Vienna, 

 yet this would in no way derogate from the credit due, for his 

 energetic administration, to the keeper of the mineral depart- 

 ment in our National Museum, Mr. Nevil S. Maskelyne, who, 

 during the very brief period he has been in office, has at least 

 trebled the collection in every sense of the word. Indeed, since 

 the lists were published from which Dr. Buchner drew the data 

 for his criticisms, the progress of our national collection has been 

 such as to prove that it may ere long be beyond the reach of 

 rivalry in all that makes such a collection interesting and valu- 

 able*. It must, however, be borne in mind that it will be neces- 

 sary to make the most of, and to display to the best advantage, 

 as is done at Vienna, every single specimen. It is perhaps of 

 greater importance to have 150 falls and localities of good average 

 size, well selected and all characteristic, than even ^00 which in 

 form, in size, as well as in condition are not adapted to illustrate 

 their characteristic features. 



Nothing is more desirable than to have good standard speci- 

 mens for purposes of comparison and study ; in these they are 

 doubtless richly provided at Vienna ; but it must be borne in 

 mind that there a steady and active attention has for many years 

 been devoted to the formation and development of that fine col- 

 lection of meteorites, and that almost every specimen has been 

 more or less amply described in printed Catalogues and in Scien- 

 tific Journals. The British Museum, on the other hand, pos- 

 sesses now a splendid material, and needs only the attention of 

 its present efficient administration to be given to this point, to 

 make it all that can be desired by scientific men. Indeed this 

 matter has already been taken in hand by Mr. Maskelyne. It is 

 not to be desired that the two collections to which we have been 

 adverting should be stereotyped facsimiles of each other: each 

 one already has its own peculiar types of excellence and interest ; 

 if the Vienna collection possesses more stone-falls than does the 

 British Museum, the latter is richer probably in its irons \ the 



* Dr. Buchner in his paper states that there were last year, on a compa- 

 rison of the respective catalogues, at Vienna 34 stones and 9 irons ( = 43 

 localities), which were then not represented in London ; these 43 desiderata 

 are now reduced to 25. Of the 26 localities in London (of which, how- 

 ever, probably at least 4 are doubtful) then unrepresented at Vienna, we 

 believe 4 have since been received, thus giving 18 good localities in London 

 that are wanting at Vienna, against 25 at Vienna that are not to be seen in 

 London. Since these catalogues were published a large number of new 

 specimens have been added to both collections ; and at Vienna there are 

 now we believe 120 stones and 6$ irons = 188 ; and Mr. Maskelyne informs 

 me there are at the British Museum 79 irons and 111 stones = 190. 



