23 



REPOET OF THE CUEATOR. 



I AM pleased to be able to report that the Museum of the 

 Club at the end of this third session is in a very prosperous 

 condition. I anticipate that before the close of next 

 session we shall no longer be in our present quarters, for 

 we are fast outgrowing them. With a central Museum, 

 the growth of the Club would be stiU more ensured 

 and its sphere of usefulness enlarged. The present collec- 

 tion is contained in about fifty cases, to which we are con- 

 stantly making additions. It comprises every branch of 

 Natural History, and I believe no large class is unrepre- 

 sented, except perhaps the Fungi and Mosses. 



The Zoological collection is naturally the most numerous 

 one, and contains about 2,415 specimens comprising 1,135 

 species. Of these, the collection of Lepidoptera is the 

 largest, containing 813 specimens and 319 species. Next 

 comes that of Shells, with 487 specimens of 206 species. 

 The Coleoptera foUow with 292 specimens of 113 species. 



The Botanical collection comes next in importance, and 

 contains about 559 specimens, but of only 284 species. 



This number of specimens includes, however, a large 

 collection of Seeds. The collection of wild Plants is now, 

 I am pleased to report, in a much more statisfactory con- 

 dition than it was at the close of the second session, and 

 is now laid out in the same manner as the National col- 

 lection at South Kensington. It contains 213 specimens 

 of 182 species of British and Foreign Plants, and if the 

 weather be favourable diiring the approaching summer I 

 have no doubt we shall be able to double this number. 



The Geological and Mineralogical collections, although 

 least in numbers, together contain about 556 specimens, 



