Specimen Collection (page 19)

Cobaltite

Anhydrite
A specimen of the mineral anhydrite (calcium sulphate) from the Simplon tunnel through the Alps which links Switzerland to Italy

Comma, Polygonia c-album
Mounted specimens from the collections of The Natural History Museum

Professor Robert Edmond Grant, M. D. F. R.s (1793-1874)
Professor Robert Edmond Grant, one of the foremost biologists of the early 19th century at Edinburgh and subsequently a professor at London University

Fossilised Tellinella rostralis, tellin bivalve
Fossilised specimen of a Tellin bivalve from Ecocene Belgium, 58 million years ago. Bivalves are hinged molluscs which first appeared in the Middle Cambrian some 500 million years ago

Symmetrocapulus, limpet
Fossilised specimen of a limpet found in the Jurassic limestone of Les Moutiers en Cinglais, France. 206-142 million years old

Aventurine
A rough piece of green aventurine quartz from India

Beryl, variety aquamarine
A specimen of the gemstone, Beryl (Beryllium aluminum silicate). This is the aquamarine variety, which is the blue variety. Another variety of beryl is emerald, which is the green variety

Gold can be rediposited during the processes taking place in the earths crust underneath volcanoes. Water traveling through cooled magma can collect minerals from igneous rock and move them elsewhere

Acroceolites subtenius, belemnites
A fine group of belemnites (Acroceolites subtenius) preserved in soft Jurassic shale from Yorkshire. Longest specimen is 9cm long

Latimeria chalumnae, coelacanth
A coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) specimen caught in the Indian Ocean in the 1960s

Freshwater pearls are formed within freshwater mollusc shells. They do not appear as spherical shapes as oyster pearls do and they are less valuable

Voluta muricina, gastropod
Specimen of the large marine gastropod Voluta muricana. It has a ornate, spiralling shell with a large aperture

Thursophyton elberfeldense
Massed stick-like stems of early land plants preserved in a fine-grained shale block, approx. 27 cm wide. Thursophyton elberfeldense fossil

Temnocrinus tuberculatus (Miller)
A fossil specimen of Temnocrinus tuberculatus (Miller), a paleozoic crinoid dating back to the Silurian (440 million years ago), discovered in the Wenlock Limestone bed, Dudley, Worcestershire, UK

Oldest rocks on Earth

Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753)
Portrait painting of Sir Hans Sloane, an eminent physician and naturalist who bequeathed his collections and library to the nation in 1753. Original held at the Natural History Museum, London

Hemimorphite
A specimen of the mineral hemimorphite (hydrated zinc silicate hydroxide). This mineral was formerly known as calamine

Eusthenopteron foordi
A fossil specimen of the head and pectoral fin of Eusthenopteron foordi, an Upper Devonian reptile from Scaumenac Bay, P.Q. Canada

Birthstone Series: Tanzanite
A specimen of tanzanite, from the Natural History Museum, London. Tanzanite is the birthstone for the month of December (along with Zircon and Turquoise). Photographed by Harry Taylor

Cordierite
A specimen of cordierite (magnesium aluminum silicate), a mineral from the class of silicates. Its gemstone variety called iolite is popular among gemstone collectors

Fossilised Archaeogeryon peruvianus, Miocene crab
Fossilised specimen of the Miocene crab (Archaeogeryon peruvianus). Nicknamed Edward Scissorhands, this crab lived some 22 million years ago off the shores of South America

Protaxocrinus tuberculatus (Miller)
A fossil specimen of Protaxocrinus tuberculatus (Miller), a crinoid, dating back to the Silurian period (440 million years ago), discovered in the Wenlock Limestone bed, Dudley, Worcestershire, UK

Fossilised Acanthochirana cordata, prawn
Fossilised prawn specimen from Solenhofen, Germany dating from the Upper Jurassic, 250 million years ago

Typhis pungens, gastropod

Lava-flow from Edinburgh volcano
A specimen of lava-flow that erupted from the haunch vent down the flanks of the volcano to its present resting place on Whinny Hill

British marble specimens

Artiodactyla (order), artiodactyl
Photograph of various artiodactyls, or even-toed ungulate mammal skeletons, held in the Osteology storeroom at the Natural History Museum, London

Inachus dorsettensis, scorpion spider crab
Photograph of a scorpion spider crab (Inachus dorsettensis)

Chlorargyrite is a mineral consisting of silver chloride

Chalcosine, from the St Ives Consols mines, Cornwall
A specimen of the mineral chalcosine, a detached group of lenticular, pseudo-hexagonal crystals, the largest about 12 mm across from St Ives Consols mines, Cornwall, U.K

Harpagodes wrightii, gastropod
A Jurassic gastropod originating from Gloucestershire, England

Carcinus maenas, European shore crab
Specimens of this invasive crab, which has spread well beyond its native range and is threatening ecosystems the world over

Insect collection by James Petiver (1663-1)
This late 17th century insect collection is unique in that the specimens are mounted and preserved between sheets of the mineral mica

Desmoulia conglobata, gastropod
A cross-section of a desmoulia conglobata shell specimen

Ectopistes migratoria, passenger pigeon
Mounted specimen of a passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratoria) at The Natural History Museum, London. Extinct since 1914, it was formerly abundant over North America. See image number 4709

Eriocheir sinensis, Chinese mitten crab
A detailed section of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriosheir sinensis) showing the carapace. This species of crab originates from the Far East but it is now evident that it has taken up residence in

Specimens from the Cocos-Keeling Atol
Coral specimens collected by Charles Darwin (1809-1882) during the Voyage of the Beagle in the Indian Ocean

Stephanite

Vespula vulgaris L. common wasp
Photograph of a female worker common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Chorda filum, seaweed
Herbarium sheet from the collection held at the Natural History Museum, London

Brittlestar
Underside of a brittlestar specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Specimen label
Scientist writing a specimen label in indelible ink on paper for a specimen held in spirit, at the Natural History Museum, London

Scientist working in Darwin Centre
Oliver Crimmen working with the zoological spirit collection in the Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum, London

Snake skin

Kogia breviceps, pygmy sperm whale
Photograph of the skull of a pygmy sperm whale

Scientist working with tissue collection
Scientist working in the Entomology Department returning specimens of tissue and DNA samples to freezer storage

Scientist working with tissue collections
Scientist working in the Entomology Department returning specimens of tissue and DNA samples to freezer storage

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