714 The Report on the British Museum for 1909. 



XXXIII.— The Report on the British Museum for 1909 *. 



We have received a copy of the official Report on the British 

 Museum for the year 1909, which contains a statement of 

 the progress effected in the arrangement and description of 

 the collections in the Natural History Museum at South 

 Kensington, and an account of the additions made to it in 

 that year. 



It is stated that preparations illustrating the classification 

 of Birds have been added to the exhibited series, and we 

 may call special attention to the specimens of the structure 

 of the Order Ratitae, which are exhibited in the first com- 

 partment on the right-hand side of the entrance to the 

 Bird-Gallery. It will be observed that the Tiuamous are 

 placed in that Order here. 



The mounted series of Birds exhibited in the British 

 Saloon has now been completed, and this, we are told, is 

 largely due to the generosity of Mr. Rowland Ward, who has 

 presented beautifully mounted examples of a large number 

 of species. 



The mounting of the series in the General Gallery has also 

 been continued, and the old and faded specimens of the fol- 

 lowing families have been replaced by finely mounted examples, 

 the work of Mr. Rowland Ward : — Galbulida, Bucconidce, and 

 a considerable number of Dendrocolaptiue Birds. The Gould 

 Collection of Humming-Birds, with the exception of the 

 cases on the main staircase, has been removed from the East 

 Corridor to the Vestibule leading from the Central Hall to 

 the Fish Gallery. The vestibule has been fitted with shelves 

 for the reception of smaller cases, and the whole series is in 

 course of being re-labelled on a new and improved plan. 

 New and revised editions of the ' Guide to the Gallery of 

 Birds ' and ' Guide to the Nesting Series of British Birds ' 

 have been published. Much assistance has been received 

 from Mr. David A. Bannerman, who has spent many weeks 

 naming, registering, labelling, and incorporating specimens. 



* For an account of the Report for 1908, see ' Ibis,' 1909, p. G91. 



