The Heron-Allen & Earland Type Slide Collection of Foraminifera in the British Museum (Natural History)

Abstract. Heron-Allen & Earland collaborated on the study of the Foraminifera over a period of 25 years. During this partnership they amassed a large faunal reference collection (The Type Slide Collection) which was presented to the British Museum (Natural History) between 1926 and 1943. An introductory biography of Edward Heron-Allen and Arthur Earland shows that they came from very different backgrounds and had very different capabilities, but were united by a mutual interest in foraminifera; their dedication made them the foremost British foraminiferologists of the time. The appearance and content of the collection are described with background information on how these slides were prepared. Heron-Allen & Earland’s own method of curation, using a series of detailed indices (Keys), is also explained. The history of the Type Slide Collection, including its transfer from Selsey to the Museum to save it from destruction, is recounted and its importance, as a national collection, assessed.