Staff of the Department. 9 



THE STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT. 

 (1856-61.) 



The staff on which the care of these collections and the work 1856-1861. 

 on them devolved, consisted of 



1. The Keeper, Dr. J. E. Gray, the responsible head, whose 

 duties were in the first place administrative. He attended 

 to the whole of the official work and correspondence, availing 

 himself to a very limited degree of clerical help by the 

 Assistants. He directed the work of the Assistants and super- 

 intended its progress, supervising all the details connected with 

 the acquisition of additions and their distribution in the exhibition 

 or study-series. He, besides, undertook the systematic work on the 

 Mammalia, on the greater portion of the Reptilia and Amphibia, 

 on certain portions of the Mollusca and Echinodermata, and on 

 the more important acquisitions of Radiated animals. The Cata- 

 logues and exceedingly numerous papers in various periodicals 

 prepared by him are the evidence of his indefatigable zeal for 

 the development of his Department. 



2. Four Assistants, the senior of whom, G. E. Gray, attended 

 to the collection of Birds. Two others, Adam White and 

 F. Smith, were in charge of the entomological collections, including 

 Crustacea, Arachnida, and Myriopoda, while the fourth, W. Baird, 

 had a severe struggle to keep .abreast with the preservation of the 

 Molluscs and the whole host of Lower animals, as well as with 

 the preliminary work of registration and labelling of the additions 

 to these divisions. 



3. The majority of the Attendants were employed on the 

 service of cleaning and guarding the public galleries, but two 

 should be specially mentioned as most useful helps to the officers 

 of the Department. Edward Gerrard possessed a most intimate 

 acquaintance with the specimens of Vertebrate animals, except 

 birds. He performed the curatorial duties connected with the 

 Mammalia in the galleries and store-rooms, and with all the 

 specimens preserved in spirit, attended to their registration, and 

 was finally entrusted by Dr. Gray with the preparation of a list 

 of the osteological specimens of Mammals. John Saunders acted 

 as special Attendant of the Keeper, who employed him in much 

 clerical work, for which he possessed a special aptitude. He took 

 care of the small zoological library, of which he pi-epared a MS. 

 li^t, and acquainted himself so well with the literature, that 



