FIRST FLOOR. 
37 
has not been tliougiit desirable to break up and disperse among Historical 
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 Mollusca, the 
Edwards Collection of Eocene Mollusca, 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. 
EiRST Eloor. 
The one large gallery on this floor, entered from the north end Gallery of 
of the east corridor of the hall, contains the collection of 
Minerals, which in extent and arrangement is unsurpassed by 
any in the world. 
The value of this collection to the intelligent visitor is greatly 
enlianced by the publication of an " Introduction to the Study 
of Minerals," as a part of the general guide to the gallery,* and 
by the arrangement of a series of specimens in four window- 
cases on the left-hand side of the gallery on entering, illustrative 
of the statements in this Introduction. It is particularly re- 
commended that this series should be carefully studied before 
the attention is directed to the large collection of minerals 
arranged in systematic order which fill the table-cases of the 
body of the room. 
In the pavilion at the end of the gallery will be found 
certain mineral specimens too large for exhibition in the table- 
cases of the gallery, and a case containing a series of specimens 
arranged by Mr. Euskin to illustrate some of the forms assumed 
by native silica. f 
Here also is arranged the large collection of Meteorites, the Meteorites, 
completeness of which is one of the features of this Depart- 
ment of the Museum and which is described in a special 
guide. J 
* ' A Guide to the Mineral Gallery of the British Museum (Natural 
History), with an Introduction to the study of Minerals.' Price threepence. 
t A Descriptive Catalogue of the specimens in this case has been printed 
by Mr. Euskin, and can be obtained of the attendant in the gallery. 
X * An Introduction to the Study of Meteorites, with a list of the Meteorites 
represented in the Collection, 1886/ Price twopence. 
