186 Letters, Extracts, Notices, S^c. 



through the entire gallery. As is well known to us all, the 

 collection of skins in cabinets (stated now to be some 300,000 

 in number) is in these days always resorted to by the 

 working student. The gallery is seldom referred to except 

 for the purpose of examining old types^ which, if the new 

 system is carried out, will he dismounted and placed in the 

 cabinets. Under these circumstances the best use that can 

 be made of the gallery is to convert it into an Index-Museum, 

 wherein may be exhibited a complete series of the leading 

 forms of bird-life arranged in- systematic order. This, we 

 take it, is the leading idea of the authorities in the alteration 

 recently effected, and will, we are sure, meet with hearty 

 approval from members of the B. O. U., as well as from the 

 ordinary visitor, who wishes to get a general idea of Birds 

 and their variations. 



The Bird-Collections in the Oxford University Museum. — 

 Having recentl}^ paid a short visit to Oxford, I took the oppor- 

 tunity of examining the collection of birds in the University 

 Museum, and have come to the conclusion that it is not in a 

 very satisfactory state. It is unfortunate that there seems 

 to be no one now at Oxford who cares for the science of orni- 

 thology. The residents of one of the most convenient places 

 in the world for a scientific student have not even one orni- 

 thologist amongst them to look after the collection and to 

 keep it up to the mark. I venture to offer a few remarks on 

 its present condition. There are, at present, three series 

 of mounted specimens of birds in the Oxford University 

 Museum. 



(1 ) The general series in the Great Hall. This is contained 

 in twelve cases, placed in opposite rows of six each, but rather 

 mixed up with mammals, shells, and other objects. The spe- 

 cimens are arranged according to Gray^s ' Genera,' and mostly 

 correctly named ; but many of them are in bad order and 

 miserably set up, and should be replaced by fresh specimens. 

 The whole series requires renovation and rearrangement 

 according to some modern system, and the " Orders " and 

 " Families " should be designated by labels and distinctly 

 separated one from another. 



