74 Department of Zoology. 



1888-1889. necessity, part of the specimens (Mammals, Shells, Corals) had 

 to be removed into the main building, a measure much to be 

 deprecated on account of the risk from fire. Dr. Gimther, 

 strongly supported by Captain (Sir Eyre) Shaw, urged the 

 enlargement of the Spirit Building, but without immediate 

 success. 



In order to provide additional accommodation for the Insect 

 Room, a large adjoining room, hitherto used for stores, was fitted 

 up and connected with the other entomological rooms ; but 

 whilst relief could thus be given with regard to the extension of 

 the collection, the disproportion between the amount of work to 

 be done and the numerical strength of the staff was becoming 

 greater with every year. Since the year 1876 the Keeper had 

 made eight appeals to the Trustees, describing the state of these 

 collections and asking for adequate help by the appointment of 

 additional Assistants qualified for the work. The Treasury was 

 disinclined to increase the permanent staff; and when they 

 allowed, in 1884, the addition of one Second-class Assistant, they 

 expressed it as their opinion that five entomologists on a staff of 

 fifteen officers would seem to be an unduly high proportion,* 

 suggesting to check an increase of the acquisitions, which 

 would only lead to an increased expenditure by the Department. 

 This of course could not be done without paralyzing the progress 

 of the Department for years to come, or without the risk of 

 losing the position as " the richest and most important zoological 

 collection in the world." It should be remembered that a large 

 proportion (in some years as much as two-thirds or three-fourths) 

 of the acquisitions was due to valuable donations, which con- 

 sisted of collections formed by specialists, and which, therefore, 

 were not merely of very great money value, but of the highest 

 intrinsic importance, as they included the materials for a portion 

 of zoological literature, and formed the basis of much of the 

 progress of systematic zoology. Collections of this kind, even 

 when offered for purchase, could not be refused, particularly not 

 at the low prices asked for them. Further, as by far the greater 

 number of those large acquisitions enriched only certain groups 

 which are most popular with private collectors, viz., Birds, 

 Shells, Beetles, Butterflies and Moths, there might have been 

 some danger that the less favoured groups would not have that 

 chance of development which should obtain for every branch of 

 the National Collection of Zoology. Therefore special care had 



* Some years later (in 1895) the proportion was 16 : 8, and in 1896 

 17:9. 



