FIRST FLOOR. 
55 
general collection. The principal of these are, the original 
collection formed by William Smith, the pioneer of geology 
in this country, the Searles Wood Collection of Crag MoUusca, 
the Edwards Collection of Eocene MoUusca, the Davidson 
Collection of Brachiopoda, the types of Sowerby's * Mineral 
Conchology/ and lastly, but not least in interest, the specimens 
which, belonging to the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, form 
the nucleus of the whole Museum. 
In the wall-cases on the west side of this gallery is exhibited Stratigraphi- 
a stratigraphical collection, showing the most characteristic of Britit^''^ 
rock-specimens, often with their included organic remains, re- Palaeontology, 
presenting the various geological formations of the British Isles, 
arranged in the order of their sequence in time, commencing 
near the entrance door with the most recent, and gradually 
passing down to the most ancient fossil-bearing strata. Along 
the top of the case is displayed a running section of all the 
sedimentary rocks of England in the order of their succession, 
-each bed being distinctively coloured, and named to correspond 
with the actual specimens placed beneath. On the east side 
are exhibited additional specimens of marine reptiles from the 
Lias and a series of foot-prints of reptiles from the Trias of 
N. America and the New Eed Sandstone of England, &c. 
EiEST Eloor. 
The gallery on this floor, entered from the south end of the Gallery of 
east corridor of the hall, contains the extensive Mineral Collec- 
tions, a fuller description of which will be found in the special 
guides.* 
Entering the gallery the visitor will find, in the first window- Introductory 
case on the left-hand side, a series of specimens selected and ^o^^^ti^^^^- 
labelled to serve as an introduction to the study of minerals. 
Beginning with a definition of what is meant by a Mineral, it 
shows how essential characters were gradually recognised, and 
how minerals have been distributed into kinds and classified. 
In the next three Avindow-cases specimens are arranged to 
* 'Guide to the Mineral Gallery.' Price one penii}-. 'Introduction to the 
Study of Minerals, with a Guide to the Mineral Gallery.' Price sixpence. 
