14 Department of Zoology. 



1856-1861. who, during the stay of H.M.S. Plumper, explored the sea and 

 coasts of Vancouver Island. In the same Held, extending his 

 researches to all parts of British Columbia, worked J. K. Lord, 

 who was attached as Assistant Naturalist to H.M. Boundary 

 Commission on the N.W. coast of America, sending home several 

 consignments of beautifully preserved specimens. 



One of the most generous benefactors of the national 

 collection, the late Mr. B. H. Hodgson, who some years before had 

 sent vast collections of specimens and drawings made during his 

 residence in Nepal, followed them up with a large consignment 

 from Darjeeling. These collections were sufficiently important 

 to induce Dr. Gray to prepare special catalogues of them in 

 1846 and 1863, which were supplemented by Dr. Giinther's 

 reports on the Reptiles and Fishes in the Proceedings of the 

 Zoological Society. 



Numerous specimens, chiefly Vertebrates and Insects, were 

 selected and obtained by purchase from the collections sent home 

 by travellers in foreign lands, like H. W. Bates, who was still on 

 the Amazons ; A. B. Wallace, who explored the Moluccas ; Mouliot, 

 who worked in Siam and Gamboja, unfortunately falling an early 

 victim to the climate ; and P. B. Du Chaillu, whose travels and 

 experiences on the Gaboon excited general interest at that time. 



With the progress of the Catalogue of Fishes contributions 

 to this section of the collections came from all quarters, some 

 of great importance. The Rev. B. T. Lowe and Mr. J. Y. Johnson 

 recommenced their search in the sea off Madeira ; Messrs. 0. Salvin 

 and F. D. Godman opened a field quite unexplored at this time, the 

 freshwaters of Central America ; Consul J. Petherick collected 

 in the Mediterranean and on the lower and upper Nile ; from 

 P. Sleeker the first consignment (precursor of many others) of 

 his types of fishes from the E. Indian Archipelago was obtained. 



Of entomological collections the acquisition of large series 

 of European, especially German, named Coleoptera, Hymenoptera 

 (9000 Ichneumonidae, collected by J. F. Ruthe) and Lepidoptera, 

 assisted greatly in the arrangement of these orders ; 5600 

 Insects of all orders from Madeira were purchased of T. Vernon 

 Wollaston, and as many, formerly part of the W. Kirby Collection, 

 of the Entomological Society of London. The Zoological Society 

 presented their collection of 3500 specimens, including many 

 types of species described by N. A. Vigors and others. 



Other large collections were added to the section of Molluscs : 

 one, consisting of 6400 shells, chiefly collected by J. Gwyn Jeffreys 

 in the Mediterranean, was purchased ; while P. P. Carpenter's 



