Growth of the Collection. 37 



A most valuable collection of 1303 specimens from India, Burmah 1875-1878. 

 and Malacca was presented by Captain Stackhouse Pinwill. 

 Messrs. Godman and Salvin presented their collection of 6650 

 eggs, all of which are well authenticated and in a perfect 

 state of preservation. 



The collections of Beptiles and Fishes received comparatively 

 few additions ; two consignments from the Rio de la Plata, which 

 were purchased, were perhaps the most noteworthy. 



Mollusca. The additions made were chiefly donations, the 

 most important of which was the collection of Shells bequeathed 

 by the late Rev. B. T. Lowe. It consisted of about 15,000 

 examples, and was a very complete representation of the Shell- 

 fauna of Madeira, the Cape Verde Islands and the neighbouring 

 parts of Africa. Mr. G. F. Angas made further valuable dona- 

 tions, aggregating 452 specimens, of named Shells from South 

 Australia, and Captain H. W. Feilden presented his collection of 

 1044 Shells from Malta. A selected series of 1057 named Shells, 

 containing many types and other historical specimens, was 

 purchased from the late Mr. Henry Adams' collection. 



The first consignment of the material on which the 

 Challenger Reports are based, was delivered in 1878 ; it 

 consisted of 337 Brachiopods, reported upon by the late Mr. T. 

 Davidson, F.R.S. 



The Crustacean collection received special attention, and was 

 enriched from numerous sources ; in 1876 alone nearly 1200 

 specimens were added, chiefly by donation, and are included in 

 the mixed collections enumerated above. Of the purchases the 

 most interesting was a collection of 75 species from Lake 

 Baikal. 



In the Entomological section the most noteworthy accessions 

 were in the Coleoptera : Mr. Godman presented a second series 

 of Coleoptera from the Azores. The St. Helena collection col- 

 lected by the late T. V. Wollaston and described by him in his 

 work " Coleoptera Sanctse-Helenae," 1550 specimens; a selection 

 from Edwin Brown's collection (3300 specimens) ; a portion oi' 

 Andrew Murray's collection; 1100 Lepidoptera collected by 

 F. M. Jonas in Japan and Formosa ; and 500 Coleoptera from 

 Abyssinia, were purchased. Finally, Captain Stackhouse Pinwill 

 presented his collection of 1488 Lepidoptera from Malacca, 

 containing some 70 species new to the Museum collection. 



The Bowerbank Collection of Sponges. This was estimated to 

 contain at least 7000 specimens and preparations, of which the 

 most important part was the series of British species described by 



