4© PROCERDTNOS OP THE 



present the natural colour and habit of the plants to whicli they 

 belong, and seldom make manifest the structural characteristics 

 on which the classification depends, the use of coloured drawings 

 has been largely resorted to. Each Natural Order of the Vege- 

 table Kingdom is thus represented. The leading characteristics 

 of the Orders are shown in diagrams. Lastly, by the aid of a 

 small map the distribution of the plants included in it, both in 

 time and space, are shown at a glance. These maps will, I 

 think, be found most interesting and instructive. Specimens of 

 fossil plants are incorporated in the series wherever the Order is 

 represented amongst extinct species. 



A walk round the gallery thus presents to the visitor a graphic 

 representation of the Vegetable Kingdom, beginning with the 

 Ranunculacese and passing in a descending series through the 

 Dicotyledons, Monocotyledons, and G-ymnosperms to the Vas- 

 cular and Cellular Cryptogams. 



The large specimens of trunks placed in the tall cases in the 

 centre of tlie gallery are arranged in the same order as the prin- 

 cipal series, and are supplementary to it. 



As regards the Zoological Department also, with reference to 

 which I am indebted for the facts to Dr. Giinther, the past 

 year proved to ' be exceptional with regard to the number and 

 importance of acquisitions.' Of purchases, the most important 

 were : — The entire collection of Birds formed by the late Mr. J. 

 Gould; a selection of the most valuable specimens from the 

 Evton collection, especially skeletons figured in his ' Osteologia 

 Avium;' part of the Baly collection of Phytophagous, and of 

 the Bates collection of Heteromerous, Coleoptera; a large col- 

 lection of the Hymenoptera of South Germany and Switzerland ; 

 and the celebrated collection of North-American Moths formed 

 by Mr. A. R. Grote. The donations were likewise of great 

 value. The Socotra Committee of the British Association pre- 

 sented a complete series of the animals collected by Professor I. 

 Bayley Balfour during his exploration of the fauna and flora of 

 that island ; the Smithsonian Institution a large collection o£ the 

 Marine Fislies of the Pacific coast of North America, obtained by 

 the U.S. Fishery Commission ; Messrs. Godman and Salvin their 

 fine collection of Australian Birds ; and the Lords Commissioners 

 of the Admiralty an exceedingly rich collection of JNIarine Inver- 

 tebrates from the Australian Seas, made by Dr. Coppinger during 

 the Survey of H.M.S. 'Alert.' Finally, of the ' Challenger ' Col- 

 lections, the study-sets of the Birds, Pycnogouids, Echinoids, and 

 Alcyonarians were received. 



These and many other acquisitions of minor importance swelled 

 the number of zoological specimens received in the year 1881 to 

 49,602, or about double the average number of the last ten years ; 

 and it must be considered a particularly fortunate circumstance 

 that a large proportion of these additions consists of materials 

 which have been already worked out by acknowledged authorities 



