ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUMS. 493 



Catalogue of Lepidoptera, Heterocera, Parts 20 and 30, by 

 Francis Walker, F.L.S. 



Catalogue of Fishes, A^ol. Y., by Dr. Giinther. 



Whilst on the subject of these very acceptable additions to the 

 well-known series of Catalogues of our National Zoological collection, 

 which have rendered such assistance to the students of Nature all 

 over the world, we cannot avoid alluding to the great difficulty which 

 is constantly met with by persons abroad, and even in this country, 

 in obtaining these publications through the ordinary channels of 

 trade. Several persons have assured us, that after again and again 

 ordering them through their booksellers, they have failed in 

 obtaining them. These complaints might be very easily remedied by 

 constituting some London bookselling firm agents and publishers 

 for the Trustees of the British Museum, and putting their names on 

 the title pages. This is the method pursued by all the leading 

 Scientific Societies of London, and the Trustees would do well to 

 adopt it. The difficulties and delays to be encountered in obtaining 

 the Catalogues in the only way now possible, from the Secretary's 

 Office in the British Museum, are such as to be very likely to deter 

 any enterprising book-vendor who may make the trial from repeating 

 the experiment. The sale of all the Museum publications during 

 the past year, appears to have produced only the small sum of 

 ^154. Is 2d. If j)roper measures were taken to advert^'se* them, and 

 a bookselling agent were appointed, we have no doubt that a much 

 larger return might be realized. 



From Dr. Gray's list of special acquisitions in the classes of 

 Mammals and Birds during, the year 1864, we pick out the follow- 

 ing items as of general interest. 



(1.) A male, a female, with rudimentary pouch, and a very 

 young Ecliidna in spirits, presented by Dr. Miiller of Melbourne. 

 (These, we believe, have been described by Professor Owen, in a 

 memoir recently read before the Eoyal Society, which will be pub- 

 lished in the Philosophical Transactions.) 



(2.) A " mummy " specimen of the Great Auk (Alca impennis) 

 which was found pressed flat with the flesh converted into adipocine^ 

 on an island to the northAvard of Newfoundland, several feet below 



* It is certainly a great error not to advertise the new Catalogues. A gentle- 

 man especially interested in British Ornithology informs us, that he has only within 

 these few days, and then, by a mere accident, discovered that a " Catalogue of 

 British Birds'" had been issued in 1862! 



