Growth of the Collection. 89 



Six papers on Reptiles and Fishes, by G. A. Boulenger. 



Ten papers on Land and Fresh-water Shells, by E. A. Smith. 



Eleven papers on Crustaceans, Myriopods and Arachnids, by 



I. Pocock. 



Two papers on Coleoptera, by C. J. Gahan. 



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



Two papers on Hymenoptera, by W. F. Kirby. 



One paper on Diptera, by E. E. Austen. 



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



GROWTH OP THE COLLECTION. 

 (1893.) 



As mentioned above, the accessions of this year amounted to 

 130,185 specimens, due chiefly to the two following acquisitions : 



1. By the will of the late Mr. Francis P. Pascoe his collection 

 of Coleoptera, numbering some 49,000 specimens, was in the first 

 place offered to the Trustees for purchase. It was particularly 

 rich in species of the families of Longicorns and Curculionidse, 

 to the study of which Mr. Pascoe devoted himself for more than 

 forty years, and to the knowledge of which special interest is 

 attached from an economic point of view, as the larvae of many 

 of these beetles are wood-borers doing an immense amount of 

 injury to young trees and valuable timber. As the collection 

 contained about 3200 types, it was expected to be of great 

 importance in the progress of the work of the coleopterists of 

 the Department. Its price, including the cabinets, was 2500, 

 towards which Parliament voted a special grant of 2000. 



2. With regard to its scientific and historical value, this 

 collection is rivalled by one of Lepidoptera, formed by the late 

 Mr. Henry Tibbets Stainton, F.R.S. Mr. Stainton was one of the 

 most eminent entomologists of his time. He not only advanced 

 entomology as a popular pursuit, but by his researches into 

 the life-histories of Microlepidoptera, laid the foundation of 

 their study in this country. His entire collection consisted of 

 33,569 specimens, among them the materials on which his works 

 are mainly based. Therefore they were not incorporated in the 

 general collection, but preserved by themselves in their original 

 arrangement as the " Stainton Collection." This collection was 

 presented to the Trustees by Mr. Stainton's widow, who was his 

 constant companion in all his work and travels, and who has 

 supplemented her donation by the additional gift of her husband's 



