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EDINBURGH GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

museums apparently either at Zurich or elsewhere publishguides to their collections; but the visitor to Switzerland who hasprovided himself with Heer’s “ Primeval World of Switzerland ”and Keller’s “ Lake Dwellings , ” will find in these works the aidhe requires to visit its museums with intelligence, or to acquainthimself with its fossils in the field.

The most important of the natural history collections arecontained in the Museum of the Polytechnicum, which is built onhigh ground overlooking the lake. The Polytechnicum was estab-lished in 1855, at a cost of about £100,000, and is upheld entirelyby the state at an annual charge of over £18,000. The fossilsare arranged in two large well-lighted rooms. Prom the windowsthere are superb views of the Alps. The peaks of the Glarnisch ,Sentis, and Todi are visible in clear weather. The fossils arearranged in the cases in stratigraphical order* but are not somuch subdivided as at Brussels ; whilst in the drawers which arenot exhibited, except on requisition, to the public, a strictlyzoological arrangement is followed. Where there is plenty ofspace this may be looked upon as perhaps the best methodthat can be adopted. The needs of the student of stratigraphicalgeology are met by what is virtually a full type collection,and the zoologist can study the groups which interest him in thedrawers, for which permission is readily granted. An ascendingzoological order is followed throughout. The rooms are lightedfrom both sides. Upright cases, uniform in size and construction,are placed against the walls between the windows. Each case isdivided into three parts. The uppermost is of glass, without shelv-ing, and is reserved for bulky objects. The middle is glass-frontedand shelved, and the undermost is fitted with drawers. The deskcases are arranged in series in the centre of the rooms, and aresimilar in plan to those adopted for the new Natural History Museum at South Kensington, but they are of less costly materialand workmanship. They are uniform in design, and very con-viently arranged for the display of specimens. The fossilsare loose in trays. Glass tubes are used for small objects.All of the cases are provided with drawers. Flat table casesare placed at the windows, and a series of special collectionsfor students is arranged in them. A list of one of these seriesmay be useful.

1. Effects of organisms.

2

3. Erosion by means of or-

ganisms.

4. Volcanic appearances.

Process of fossilisation.

Eocks of organic origin.Further changes brought aboutby organic remains.

Volcanic bombs; lava stream,surface of.

5. Volcanic products.