424 ' Zoology. 



Mandelli (L.). 



13 birds from Sikhim. Presented. [78. 3. 29, 6-18.] 

 AVhen I first began to work at the Museum, I found the series of 

 birds from our Indian Empire to be a very poor one, both as regards 

 the number of species and the condition of specimens, and I wrote to 

 Mandelli to beg for a few of the Flycatchers necessary for my work in 

 the fourth volume of the " Catalogue of Birds." He promptly sent me 

 the 13 specimens recorded above, which were most useful at the time, 

 and added five species to the Museum, viz., Nitidula hodgsoni, 

 Muscicapula sapphira, Erythrosterna pusilla, Cyornis magnirostris, and 

 C. unicolor. 



Mandelli employed a number of native collectors, and amassed a fine 

 series of birds from Sikhim, Native Sikhim, the adjacent portions of Tibet, 

 and the Bhutan Dooars. So particular was he as to the condition of his 

 skins that he made a point of throwing away any which were not well 

 preserved. The unfortunate man vdtimately took his own life, and his 

 collection was purchased by Mr. Allan Hume, and came to the British 

 Museum with the rest of the Hume collection in 1885. It was one of the 

 features of this wonderful donation. 



Manning {General W. H.). 



438 specimens of birds from Nyasa Land and the neighbouring 

 countries. Presented. [99. 1. 2, 1-26 ; 99. 3. 1, 1-148 ; 1900. 11. 12, 

 1-222 ; 1901. 6. 20, 1-33 ; 1901. 7. 5, 1-9.] 



The good work begun in Nj^asa Land by Sir Harry Johnston was 

 continued by General (then Colonel) Manning, who succeeded him as 

 H.B.M. Commissioner for British Central Africa, The collections sent by 

 General Manning were described by Capt. Shelley in the " Ibis " for 1899 

 (pp. 281-283, 369, 564-580, pis. v., vi. ; 1901, pp. 161-177, 586-595. 

 Chlorophoneus manningi is named after him (cf. Ibis, 1899, pp. 281-283, 

 364-380, pis. v., vi.), and other species, Lyhius macdouni, Cisticola 

 alticola, and Cyj^selus alfredi, were discovered by Mr. McCloun and the 

 naturalists employed by General Manning. 



Cf. Who's Who, 1905, p. 1067. 



Mantell {Br.\ FM.S. 



10 specimens, including cast of the head of the Dodo, eggs and skulls 

 of Ostrich and skeletons of other birds. Presented. [41. 1. 12, 36, 38, 39 ; 

 41. 1. 14, 26, 28 ; 41. 1. 14, 36, 44, 57 ; 41. 1. 17, 2, 3.] 



Cf. Diet. Nat. Biogr., xxxvi., p. 99. 



Mantell (Walter), Esq. [Son of the above.] 



5 specimens from New Zealand. Purchased (through Mr. Gould). 

 [56. 5. 28, 1-5.] 



The original example of Notornis manteUi was purchased on this 

 occasion. The history of the specimen is given by Mr. Gould in his 

 " Handbook to the Birds of Australia " (vol. ii., pp. 576-579). The 

 tyY)es of Nestor notahilis, Gould, were also acquired at the same time. 



A second specimen of Notornis in the Museum bears no register 

 number, but is said to have been procured by Mr. Walter Mantell, and is 

 so chronicled by Sir Walter BuUer (B. New Zealand, 1st ed., p. 192). The 

 two specimens were mounted by the late Mr. A. D. Bartlett, and were for 

 many years exposed in the public Bird Gallery. When the collections 

 were transferred to South Kensington from Bloomsbury they were removed 

 and placed in the bird-cabinets, where they are no longer exposed to the 

 risk of bleachins:. 



