No. 381.] MOTES ON SOME EUROPEAN MUSEUMS. ZLI 
the main gallery. This pavilion also contains the collection of 
pseudomorphs and paramorphs, the Ruskin collection of forms 
of silica, and the famous collection of meteorites. 
The specimens in the desk cases are mounted on tablets, and 
are never crowded. These tablets are of wood, with a very 
narrow rim, which is painted black. The main portion of the 
block is covered with a sheet of the finest quality of jeweler’s 
cotton wool, which is held in place by being forced down into 
a groove provided for the purpose just within the raised rim. 
These tablets are very effective in appearance ; they do not 
change color, and dust does not show readily on them, and 
specimens are not apt to slip on them. Group labels, and 
labels for particularly showy specimens, are printed with pen 
and India ink on white celluloid plates of appropriate size, and 
attached to the blocks on which the specimens rest, or are 
raised on suitable supports. When there are many specimens 
of the same species, they are grouped together within strips of 
wood of a given color. The use of these strips of colored 
wood gives a means of ready and rapid comparison. The strips 
are painted different colors on the two sides, so that one strip 
may answer fora partition. Minerals like proustite, the bromi- 
odides, etc., which are liable to injury by long exposure to 
strong light, are covered with neat wooden boxes bearing the 
name of the species on the outside. Persons desiring to 
examine such specimens get permission to do so on application 
at the office of the department. A cloth screen rests on the 
top of the cases over other minerals which it is desirable to 
keep in the shade. This may be removed and replaced by the 
visitor himself. To provide against leaving cases unlocked, 
the locks are so arranged that the key cannot be removed from 
them without throwing the bolt. Cut gems are displayed in 
their systematic position in the general collection, there being 
no special “gem cases.” The gem of the gems is a South 
African diamond crystal of very symmetrical form, weighing 
130 carats. Much use is made of wire holders and supports 
for getting specimens into proper position for display. The 
System of classification followed is essentially that based on 
chemical composition and crystalline form, propounded by 
