20 REPORT OF THE 



Extract from the Beport of the Curator of Comparative 



During the past year valuable additions have been made 

 to our osteological collections. The bones of the Polar Bear 

 have been presented to the Society by Mr. Hammond, of 

 Hull, and the bones of several mammalia by the Curator of 

 this department. Most of these have been mounted, and are 

 exhibited in the cases of the Museum, as well as the skeletons 

 of the Tapir and Nyl-Ghau, which were previously in the So- 

 ciety's possession. These additions have, it is believed, placed 

 the collection of the skeletons of the Mammalia at the head 

 of all the provincial collections in this country ; a position 

 which the Society already occupied with respect to its col- 

 lection of the skeletons of Birds. This extensive collection 

 is now placed in what was lately the Mineralogical Room, 

 where it is well displayed and of easy access. 



Extract from the Beport of the Curator of Antiquities. 

 The donations to the Collection of Antiquities have this year 

 been unusually few. The Society is however much indebted 

 to the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral for having allowed 

 the Mithraic Tablet in their possession to be deposited amongst 

 the Antiquities of the Museum. This is one of the most in- 

 teresting remains of Eboracum. Of the very few monuments 

 relating to the worship of Mithras by the Romans which 

 have been found in Britain, it is the most perfect ; and 

 though rude in workmanship, in its characteristic emblems it 

 is allied to some of the most curious and remarkable of similar 

 monuments known to exist in Europe. 



Extract from the Beport of the Curator of Meteorology. 



The temperature of the year 1844 was .3 of a degree below 

 the average of the preceding 13 years, and .2 above that of 

 the year 1843. The mean height of the mercury was above 

 the average. The rain of 1 844 has been less than that of any 



