THE PRINCIPAL FLOOR. 
45 
THE PRINCIPAL FLOOR 
Two flights of steps, in Portland stone, lead from the Hall to 
a landing, on which are placed three cabinets containing part of 
the Ludlam Collection of Minerals. From this landing a stone 
staircase, with ornamental metal castings on each side, conducts 
the visitor to the Principal floor of the Museum. At the head 
of the staircase, on the right hand, is a large iron casting of 
Venus (No. 48), while a corresponding casting of Diana (No. 
47) stands on the left side. Close to these figures are two small 
Table Cases (Nos. 46 and 49) for the exhibition of recent 
acquisitions to the Mineral collection. 
The Principal Floor of the Museum contains the Mineralogical, 
the Metallurgical, and the Ceramic series, associated, however, 
with various miscellaneous objects. The mineralogical series is 
separable into two divisions : the metalliferous , containing the 
ores of our ordinary metals ; and the non-metalliferous , or those 
minerals which are either entirely destitute of metal or, at most, 
contain only some of the lighter and rarer metals. The metallic 
minerals are arranged inthe 56, Wall Cases around this floor of the 
Museum (p. 66), whilst the non-metallic minerals are displayed 
in the large central case which is known, from its original shape, 
as the Horseshoe Case (p. 101). This Horseshoe Case surrounds 
the glass roof of the lecture theatre below, and forms a promi- 
nent object in the centre of the room. The metallurgical series 
is arranged in the six Flat Cases in;the embaymen'.s in front of 
the British metallic minerals (p. 92), but the space thus allowed 
being insufficient, the metallurgical specimens have crept into 
several of the adjacent Pedestal Cases in the central area. 
The original intention of those who devised the arrangement 
— an intention which has been carried out wherever practicable 
— was to exhibit the ore or raw material in the wall-cases ; then 
to show the treatment to which the ore was subjected, for 
extraction of metal, in the Flat Cases immediately in front of the 
ores ; whilst the applications of the metals in the arts would be 
illustrated by specimens in the Pedestal Cases in front of the 
metallurgical collection. Thus the ores of copper are exhibited 
in Wall Case* 1 , 2, 3, 4, &c. ; the metallurgy of copper is repre- 
sented in the Flat Case No. 40, in front of these Wall Cases ; 
aud finally the casting of copper and its alloys is illustrated by 
statuettes in the Pedestal Case No. 42, which, again, is imme 
diately in front of No. 40. 
The ceramic and vitreous series is separated as far as possible 
from the other collections on this floor, and forms a compact 
group of objects at the southern end of the room (p. 3 20). In 
addition, however, to these systematic collections there are 
exhibited in this gallery a large number of models and miscel- 
laneous objects ; and as some of these are likely to arrest the 
attention of the visitor as soon as he reaches this floor by the 
stairs leading from the Hall, it may be desirable to commence 
