388 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



feature in the collection is that the specimens have in every 

 case been procured by Mr. Booth himself during 23 yeai-s 

 -which he has devoted to forming it. 



It would be easy to criticise the mounting of the specimens, 

 and their attitudes in some of the cases ; but, taking the col- 

 lection as a whole, we are sure that it will meet with general 

 approval from ornithologists. Would that the authorities of 

 our National Collection would take a hint from Mr. Booth, 

 and, when they proceed to fit up their new public gallery at 

 South Kensington, adopt a somewhat similar plan ! A series 

 of well-selected typical forms of bird -life displayed in this 

 fashion would instruct and interest the public ; whereas the 

 present plan of exhibiting some thousands of badly-mounted 

 (and, too often, unnamed) specimens crowded together in 

 series of parallel rows only disgusts them. 



We sincerely hope that but few, if any, of the present inha- 

 bitants of the Bird-gallery in Great Russell Street will find 

 their way into the new galleries at South Kensington, but 

 will be replaced by new and fresh specimens mounted in 

 accordance with Mr. Booth^s plan. 



Death of Dr. Briiggemann. — We regret to have to announce 

 the death of Dr.. F. Briiggemann. Dr. Briiggemann was a 

 native of Bremen, and studied at Jena, where he was for 

 several years assistant to Prof. Haeckel. His earliest pub- 

 lications were on entomological subjects; but, later, he pub- 

 lished an account of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Bremen. 

 He was especially interested in ornithology, and, amongst 

 other papers on this subject, published several on the Birds 

 of Celebes and Borneo (see ' Ibis,^ 1877, p. 126, and 1878, 

 pp. 108 et 377). On the recommendation of Prof. Haeckel, 

 Dr. Briiggemann was engaged last year by Dr. Giinther to ar- 

 range and catalogue the collection of Corals in the British 

 Museum. Whilst in the midst of this undertaking he died 

 suddenly at his lodgings, on the night of Saturday, April 

 6th, of haemorrhage from the lungs. 



