1855.] Linnean Society. 39^ 



to visit, aad admire, and study such objects. I am led to these 

 observations by an important step recently taken by the Trustees of 

 the British Museum, in the publication of full, and in most cases 

 illustrated monographs of the different groups of animals, including 

 not only those species which are to be found within its precincts, 

 but all which are hitherto known. The compilation of these mono- 

 graphs has been confided to naturalists who have respectively studied 

 the various groups which are thus catalogued ; and these gentlemen 

 have availed themselves of the opportunities allowed them of exa- 

 mining and comparing various zoological collections, such for in- 

 stance as the typical collections belonging to this Society, to the 

 Entomological and the Zoological Societies, those of the Honourable 

 East India Company, of Haslar Hospital, and the extensive private 

 cabinets of Mr. W. Wilson Saunders, Mr. Baly, and others. 



Dr. Gray has in this manner published a Monograph of the Un- 

 gulated, the Cetaceous, and the Phocine Mammalia, describing all 

 the known species, illustrated with plates of the crania of all the 

 genera ; also similar monographs of the Cartilaginous Fishes, the 

 Lizards, Tortoises, Crocodiles, Amphisbeenians, all the Snakes ex- 

 cepting the Colubridae, which is now in the course of publication, 

 and of the Tailed Batrachia ; the latter illustrated with figures of 

 the cranium and teeth of each genus. Among the Mollusca the 

 same distinguished naturalist has published similar monographs 

 of the Cephalopoda Antepedia, the Pteropoda, the Brachiopoda, Ancy- 

 lopoda, and the families Placunadce and Anomiadce. That of the 

 Brachiopoda is illustrated with representations of all the genera : 

 in this work Dr. Gray was assisted by Mr. S. P. Woodward, and 

 it contains the fossil as well as the recent species. Amongst the 

 Radiata he has also published a Monograph of the irregular Echi- 

 nidce, illustrated with figures of the new genera and species. 



In the Entomological department a similar activity has been dis- 

 played. Mr. George Robert Gray has published a Catalogue of the 

 PapilionidcE, illustrated with coloured figures of all the new species, 

 in thirteen quarto plates. 



Mr. Francis Walker has produced monographs oi Diptera, occu- 

 pying seven volumes ; of the Homoptera and Neuroptera, in eight 

 volumes ; and of the Lepidoptera Heterocera, in two volumes. 



Mr. W. S. Dallas has published the first and second parts of a 

 Monograph of the Hemipterous Insects, illustrated also with plates 

 of the genera. 



From Mr. Frederick Smith we have monographs of the Andrenidee, 

 Apidce, and fossorial Hymenoptera, similarly illustrated ; also of the 



No. LXIII. — Proceedings of the Linnean Society. 



