Eeport of the Hope Professor of Zoology. 



The additions to the Hope Depnrtment made durinq,- the 

 year 1898 are numerous and valuable, although they do not 

 approach those of 1897. Mr. Guy A. K. Marshall's beautifully 

 collected specimens from South Africa, accompanied by full 

 and precise data, must be specially mentioned, as in previous 

 years. 



One of the principal labours of the year was a thorough 

 revision of the Hope Library and comparison of the volumes 

 with the (very incomplete) slip catalogue. The thousands of 

 works which require cataloguing were rendered easily recog- 

 nizable, while the numerous duplicate volumes and pamphlets 

 were identified and separated. At this point the work was 

 postponed owing to the needs of the Collection, but the com- 

 pletion of the catalogue at an early date is absolutely necessary 

 for the assured safety and proper and convenient use of this 

 valuable library. It is much to be hoped that some means 

 may be found whereby this work can be done without en- 

 croaching further upon the amount of time and work devoted 

 to the Collections. Mr. W. Holland commenced this revision 

 in 1897, and it occupied almost the whole of his time for the 

 first half of 1898. Mr. R. McLachlan, F.R.S., kindly assisted 

 in the classification of some of the more obscure pamphlets, 

 and Miss Cora B. Sanders, of Lady Margaret Hall, in writing 

 a number of slips. 



In the latter part of the summer Mr. Holland arranged the 

 large group of Danaine butterflies confined to tropical America 

 and now separated as a distinct sub-family, the Ithomiinae. 

 The immense growth of the Collection is well seen in this 

 group. The whole of the specimens in the Department in 

 18.93 were crowded into two drawers, and might have been 

 expanded into five or six after the species had been worked 

 out. Now that the Godman-Salvin and other accessions of 

 less importance have been incorporated, with a fair allowance 

 for future additions, the sub-family occupies sixtj' drawers. 



