218 



Wctherett Bequest. 



distinguished for his learning and archa3ological taste ; an aunt 

 also to the Recorder of Devizes. Her pursuits had always been 

 connected with Natural History, and the valuable collection now 

 in the possession of the Society is the result of the labours and 

 investigation, of many years. Particulars of the bequest will 

 appear as soon as the Curator can prepare a statement. In the 

 mean time it may be stated, that the cabinets are of mahogany, 

 elegantly fitted up, and contain sixty-four drawers. These are 

 full, indeed over crowded, with Geological and Mineralogical 

 specimens, which in number must amount to at least six thousand. 

 Among the minerals are a few gems, and a variety of marbles, 

 jaspers, &c, many of them polished, and chiefly illustrative of the 

 British rocks. The fossils are principally from Wilts, Berks, and 

 other adjacent counties. Many of them are rare and valuable. There 

 is an interesting series of Tertiary fossils, but it is in illustrations 

 of the more important strata of this county that the drawers are 

 richest. The Cretaceous fossils are not so numerous as some others, 

 but this is less to be regretted as the Society already possesses 

 good specimens presented by the late Col. Olivier. Of Oolitic fos- 

 sils there is a fine collection, particularly from the neighbourhood 

 of Calne. The Coral-rag specimens are remarkably fine, and can- 

 not probably be surpassed by any English collection. The fossils 

 from the Kimmeridge and Oxford clays, and from the Kelloway- 

 rock are very good, and though not belonging to Wiltshire, there 

 are some silurian Specimens from Dudley, of considerable value. 

 The general condition of the collection is excellent, but it will be 

 necessary to pick out some few pyritous specimens which are doing 

 mischief by decomposition ; and the arrangement of the drawers 

 is somewhat confused, owing to overcrowding, the collection having 

 outgrown the capabilities of the cabinets. With further extension 

 of cabinet room, and by the exclusion of some few duplicates, the 

 arrangement may be made complete, and the collection will afford 

 an excellent illustration of the geology of the British strata. 



Among the books are works on Geology and Mineralogy, by 

 Lyell, Morris, Buckland, Mantell, Jameson, Phillips, Bakewell, 

 Kidd, and Parkinson. 



H. BULL, Printer and Publisher, Devizes. 



