THE LUDLAM COLLECTION. 
13 
find a number of cases of minerals exhibited in the Hall, quite, 
distinct from the large general collection of minerals, which is 
displayed on the Principal Floor. 
By the will of Mr. Henry Ludlam, well known for many 
years as one of the principal private purchasers of minerals in 
this country, the important collection which he had formed, at 
a cost, it is believed, of something like 15,000£. was bequeathed 
to this Museum. On the testator’s death in 1880, the cabinets, 
containing the collection were transferred from his residence in 
Piccadilly to the Museum. Eight of these cabinets are placed 
in the Hall, whilst three are located on the staircase leading to 
the Principal Floor. In order to give the visitor a general 
notion of the collection, about 800 of the finest specimens have- 
been removed from the cabinets, and are displayed in six large 
table -cases between the columns which surround the tesselated 
pavement in the centre of the Hall. 
The first case (No. I.) contains specimens of Native Metals, 
among which the most notable are the fine examples of native 
silver from the Kongsberg mines in Norway, and of native- 
gold from Transylvania and several other well-known localities^ 
includiug some fine nuggets from French Guiana. In the series 
illustrating native copper attention should be directed to a 
Siberian specimen with singularly well-defined cubic crystals,, 
formerly in the cabinet of Sir Francis Chantrey. This case 
also contains examples of native bismuth, arsenic, antimony,, 
tellurium, lead, and mercury, with several native alloys, such as 
discrasite, or antimonial silver, and native amalgam. 
The next case (No. IT.) is devoted to the exhibition of a series 
of Native Sulphides. Zinc-blende and galena — the sulphides of 
zinc and lead respectively — are represented by excellent speci- 
mens from several British and foreign localities ; whilst the 
beautiful crystals of redruthite or copper -glance are characteris- 
tically Cornish. The eye, in wandering over this case, will be 
arrested by the magnificent crystals of pyrite or iron-pyrites,. 
some of which are exceptional for boldness and beauty of form ; 
and not less by the rainbow-tints of the “ peacock-ore ” or 
copper-pyrites, this iridescence being due to superficial tarnish. 
Here, too, will be found some noble crystals of argentite, or 
silver sulphide ; delicate needle -like crystals of bismuthine, or 
bismuth sulphide ; broad bladed forms of antimonite or antimony 
sulphide ; clear crimson crystals of cinnabar or mercury sulphide ; 
and fine specimens of the rare minerals millerite (nickel sulphide) 
and greenockite (cadmium sulphide). 
At the northern end of the central area, between the busts 
of Sedgwick and Forbes, stand two new cases containing a 
selection of fine specimens from the Ludlam cabinets. The first 
case (No. III.) is monopolised by the single species, fluorite 
or fluor-spar , a fluoride of calcium remarkable for its diversity 
and beauty of colour not less than for its perfection of crystalliner 
form. Specially noteworthy are some of the Cornish crystals 
