the King of Kandy, and supposed to be the largest known,
and numerous agates bearing natural representations of human
features, and figures of different animals.
The Townshend collection, comprising gems of nearly every
species and every variety of hues, many of which formerly belonged to the Hope cabinet, was bequeathed to this museum by
Rev. C. H. Townshend, in 1869. It embraces one hundred and
fifty-four specimens, nearly all mounted in gold, and forty-one
engraved gems of both antique and modern workmanship.
These comprise seventeen opals of different varieties, twelve
sapphires of various colors, from violet to white, eight diamonds, including the rare black diamond cut as a brilliant,
and others of honey yellow, pale green, gray, indigo, and cinnamon, rubies, emeralds, topazes, chrysoberyls, and specimens of
a large number of other gem-minerals, affording a wide range
of colors.
The Devonshire collection numbers five hundred and
twenty-eight examples, including some of the finest antiques
both in carnei and intagli. It was made by the third Duke of
Devonshire, during the first half of the last century, and has
been augmented to its present size by his successors. In the
list of these gems were numbered a fine amethyst engraved
with the figure of Sapor I. and an inscription in the Pehlevi
language, which now forms the centre ornament in the comb of
the famous Devonshire parure; a Theseus, on sard; a Hercules,
on green jasper; a muse tuning her lyre, on black jasper; Judgment of Paris, on onyx ; a Marcus Aurelius, a head of Socrates,
and one of Augustus.
The Marlborough collection is said to comprise the most
extraordinary sardonyx known, on account of the color of its
layers, which are purple, opaque white, and opaque black,
affording a solitary instance of such a combination. The
