72 Department of Zoology. 



1886-1887. examined with the least possible delay, the results being pub- 

 lished in some scientific journal, if there was no early opportunity 

 of including them in one of the official catalogues. Although 

 well aware that this incidental work must interfere with the 

 progress of the systematic arrangement of the general collection, 

 Dr. Giinther, like his predecessor, saw the less reason for 

 discouraging this practice as most of the work was done in 

 extra-official time. Besides, nothing is more discouraging and 

 disappointing to the collector in foreign countries, who has 

 expended energy, time, and money in his desire to advance 

 some scientific object, than to see his collections buried or shelved. 

 These publications being distinctly indicative of the progress of 

 the institution from which they emanate, Dr. Giinther com- 

 menced from 1881 to include a list of them in his annual 

 " Returns" to Parliament. A repetition of these lists would be 

 out of place here ; but to show the amount of work done by the 

 staff, beside their other curatorial duties, a short resume of 

 the reports and papers issued in one year (1887) is given 

 here : 



One Report on the collections made by the officers of H.M.S. 

 Flying Fish at Christmas Island, by the staff of the Department. 



Four various papers on Mammalia, by Oldfield Thomas. 



Five various papers on Birds, by R. Bowdler Sharpe and 

 W. R. Ogilvie-Grant. 



Eighteen various papers on Reptiles, Batrachians and Fishes, 

 by G. A. Boulenger. 



One Report on the Oiallenger Deep-sea Fishes, by A. Giinther. 



Six papers on Mollusca, by E. A. Smith. 



Two papers on Myriopoda, by R. I. Pocock. 



Five papers on Coleoptera, by C. O. Waterhouse. 



Three papers on Lepidoptera, by A. G. Butler. 



Two papers on Echinoderms, by F. J. Bell. 



Four papers on Sponges, by A. Dendy. 



One Report on the Challenger Monaxonida, by S. O. Ridley 

 and A. Dendy. 



DEPARTMENTAL LIBRARY. 



(1886-87.) 



By purchase, presentation, or exchange, this Library had 

 grown to a total of 8492 works, or of about 12,328 volumes. All 

 the books were properly catalogued and arranged in the room 

 assigned to them, or in the studies of the specialists. The 



