coal deposit, indicating their early appearance
on the earth; the next deposit, or new red sandstone, introduces us to
the Frogs; the oolite to the Tortoises; and the recent tertiary strata
to the Serpents. The bones of the tremendous wingless birds, which are
deposited in the third case of this room, have been recognised by
Professor Owen as the remains of an animal that must, when living,
have stood eleven feet high. By the windows in the northern wall of
the room are deposited the beautiful crystallised mass of Selenite, or
sulphate of lime, found in the duchy of Saxe Coburg, and presented to
the museum by Prince Albert; and a mass of carbonate of lime,
presented by Sir Thomas Baring. Having noticed these prominent
attractions of the room, the visitor should direct his attention to
the table cases, and first to those ranged along the southern half of
the room (7-13). Five of the tables are loaded with further specimens
of the Sulphurets, or metals in combination with sulphuric acid. In
the first case (7) are sulphurets of copper, and copper iron; in the
second case (8) are the series of sulphurets of lead, or galena, from
various parts of the world; in the third case (9) are specimens of
sulphuret of bismuth, needle ore, or sulphuret of bismuth, copper, and
lead, and sulphurets of mercury, or cinnabar, chiefly from Spain, the
light variety of which is the bright vermilion used by artists; in the
fourth case (10) are the sulphurets of silver, the beautiful
crystallised sulphurets of antimony, chiefly from Transylvania, and
the delicate plumose antimony, or feather ore; in the fifth case (11)
are the sulphur salts, including the ruby, silver, &c.; and in the
sixth case (12) are the sulphurets of Arsenic, red orpiment, of which
the best comes from Persia, cobalt glance, &c., bringing the series of
sulphurets to a conclusion.

In the next case (13) the series of Oxides begins. Herein are the
oxides and hydrous oxides of manganese.[6] Having examined the
sulphurets and oxides, the visitor should cross to the northern suite
of tables marked from 48 to 54. Here are arranged a series of the
Carbonates, or combinations of carbonic acid with earths, metallic
oxides or alkalis.

In the first case (48) are some specimens of brown spar from Hungary,
fibrous and crystallised carbonates of iron, and manganese spar; in
the second case (49) are the varieties of zinc spar, or carbonates of
zinc, lead spar, or carbonates of lead, and