118 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
The state of things here referred to by Prof. Forbes, as a general rule will be 
found more or loss to prevail in museums establislied in townis that are uncon- 
nected with men distinguished by tlicir attainments in natural science. We 
associate the museum at Newcastle with the names of Hancock, Alder, and 
Huttou ; that of York with Harcourt and Phillips ; Bristol witli Conybeare and 
Miller ; Ipswich with that of Henslow. But many museums exist without the 
funds for enabling then- committees to maintain a permanent scientific officer as 
curator, and without the advantage of securing for theii* natural history collec- 
tions tliat aid which is within reach of the museums at Newcastle, Ipswicli, 
and other places. In the matter of classification and the determination of 
species, it is not enough to have the co-operation of those who are wiUiug to 
give time and to work with hearty zeal. The indispensable element here is 
knowledge, and knowledge of a kind which few honorary curators can reason- 
ably be expected to have at their command. 
Now, if that large class of provincial museums which have but very limited 
incomes were able to take advantage of temporary competent professional 
assistance in the arrangement of the collections they possess, the state of things 
referred to by Professor Forbes need no longer exist. This plan, too, of tem- 
porary curatorship has other very strong recommendations. It would put 
museums all over the kingdom in friendly and beneficial eommunication with 
one another, wliUe a system of periodical visitation, especially if combined with 
the delivery of lectures, would tend to keep alive the local spirit of interest in 
these educational institutions, wliieh in two many cases is now found to flag, if 
not to lie altogether dormant. No man of real science going into a provincial 
museum wdl look with disdain upon an Egyptian mummy, or upon the fruit of 
a double cocoa-nut, provided these objects are shown for a definite purpose, 
and as forming part of a series. But that which every man of science regrets 
like Edward Forbes is that space and money can often be found for these 
tilings when objects of infinitely greater value receive scarcely any attention, 
or are even altogether ignored. 
As it respects the sum total which museums throughout the kingdom have 
at command after paying such necessary out-goings as rent, wages, etc., if we 
omit the University museums and a few with incomes sufficient to enable them 
to maintain men of scientific reputation as salaried officers, the amount collec- 
tively may be roughly estimated at £3,000. Now, although £3,000, if chvided 
by the number of existing museums, gives but a small sum to each, yet, if made 
the most of, it would do a great deal for the accomplishment of those objects 
which tliese institutions profess to have in view. £3,000 would more than 
suffice to pay a staff of men of real scientific attainments, who should have 
their museum-circuits ; and with the surplus, ocean-beds might be made to give 
up their treasures, and rich fossil-lDearing districts be explored. But to do 
this, museums must recognize the unportance of mutual eo-operation and the 
acting upon some common plan. So long as each one acts mdependently, so 
long may we expect that the state of chaos so graphically pourtrayed by Prof. 
Forbes will more or less prevail, and many of tliese institutions be only theo- 
retically what they might be practically — centres of mstruction in science. — 
E. Charleswortii, F.G.S. 
Gems and Precious Stones in Situ. — Sir, — Can you inform me if it is 
known to what geological formations diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, or 
other precious stones belong ? Have any, or all of these been found in situ ; 
and if so, are they from beds similar or of different geological ages ? 
I presume they cannot be considered as being of the age of the gravels in 
which they are usually found, but that they must have been detached from 
some stratum in the locality from which the gravels themselves were derived. 
Any information on these points will oblige, yours faithfully. Inquirer. 
