46 
EAST WING. 
Historical The fifth gallery is set apart for the reception of certain 
CoUections. special collections of historical interest, which, from the circum- 
stances under which they were formed, or came into possession 
of the Museum, or from their containing a large number of 
types described and figured in standard monographs, it has 
not been thought desirable to break up and disperse among the 
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 Mollusca, the Davidson Col- 
lection of Brachiopoda, the types of Sowerby's ' Mineral Con- 
chology,' and lastly, but not least in interest, the specimens 
wdiich, belonging to the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, form 
the nucleus of the whole Museum. 
StratigrapM- the wall-cases on the west side of this gallery is exhibited 
cai collection ^ stratigrapliical collection, intended to show the most charac- 
PalEeontology. teristic organic remains of 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. 
Gallery of 
Minerals. 
Introductory 
Collections. 
First Floor. 
The gallery on this floor, entered from the south end of the 
east corridor of the hall, contains the extensive Mineral Collec- 
tions, a full description of which will be found in a special 
guide.* 
Entering the gallery the visitor will find, in the first window- 
case on the left-hand side, a series of specimens selected and 
labelled to serve as an introduction to the study of minerals. 
Beginning with a definition of what is meant by a mineral, it is 
there shown how essential characters were gradually recognised, 
and how minerals have been distributed into kinds and classi- 
fied. 
In the next three window-cases specimens are arranged to 
illustrate the various terms which have been found useful in 
the description of minerals. 
* ' Introduction to tho Study of Minerals, with a Guide to the Mineral 
Gallerv.' Price throe])ence. 
