fact, that during the last year, independent of the 

 unrecorded visits of the members of the Society 

 and their families, upwards of four hundred 

 strangers have recorded their names in the Intro- 

 duction Book, affords at once a gratifying proof of 

 the interest v^^hich the collection has excited in the 

 public mind, and of the nec^sity for, and utility 

 of, such an institution. 



It is also proper to remark in this place, that a 

 small part only of this extensive collection has been 

 brought into the Museum at the Society's expense, 

 the rest having been kindly and liberally presented 

 by the members and friends of the institution; 

 among v^hom the Council would particularly re- 

 mark the continued liberality of our maritime 

 friends, who embrace as usual every opportu- 

 nity of augmenting our stores. They wish more 

 especially to record on the pages of their Report, 

 the valuable donations lately received from Capt. 

 Stephenson Ellerby, of the Ship ** Lady Fever- 

 sham;" consisting of a New Zealand Chief's Head, 

 beautifully tattooed, and in good preservation ; the 

 Bones of the Head of a large Hippopotamus, from 

 the Great Fish River in South Africa ; one Spear, 

 one Club, and three Patoos from New Zealand; 

 Umbrella from Ceylon ; three Albatrosses from the 

 Pacific Ocean, twenty six small Birds, Paw of a 

 Kangaroo from New South Wales, two Porcupine 

 Fishes, Cobra di Capella, and two specimens of 



