380 Bibliographical Notices. 



will necessarily be ini]icrfect. I have seen no specimens named 

 by original autliorities, and I have derived much less assistance 

 from British algologists than I had when treating of the Diato- 

 macetp, as many valued correspondents, whose discoveries and 

 notes greatly aided me in the descriptions of the Diatumacea, 

 have not studied this tribe. 



I should however be ungrateful to omit stating, that my friend 

 the llev. M. J. Berkeley has, during the preparation of these 

 papers, as on former occasions, supplied many useful hints, and 

 assisted me in determining the species and synonyms ; and that 

 Mr. Jenner has not only favoured me with numerous specimens, 

 but sent me several drawings made from his own observations, 

 and necessary for the illustration of different species. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



List of the Specimens of Mammalia in the British Mvseinn. Printed 

 by order of the 'Jrustees. London, 1843. 



List of the Specimens of Birds in the British Museum. Part I. 

 Accipitres, 1S44. 



It is by no means so generally known as it ought to be, that the 

 Trustees of the British Museum have lately set an example which 

 the Directors of all national museums would do well to imitate. 

 Many persons now visit the zoological galleries of the British Mu- 

 seum, not as a mere holiday show, but as a place of scientific study. 

 To this class of visitors the popular * Synopsis ' sold at the door is 

 far too superficial to be of use ; a demand has consequently arisen for 

 a more exact scientific account of the contents of the collection, and 

 this demand is now in the course of being supplied. The officers of 

 the several departments have been directed to draw up accurate 

 catalogues of the contents of the Museum, which are revised by 

 Mr. J. E. Gray, the chief officer of the zoological department, and 

 are sold in a cheap and portable form to the public. 



The advantages of this measure are manifold. These catalogues 

 may have the desirable effect of converting the mere sight-seer into 

 the scientific student, while they guide the working naturalist to 

 rare and authentic sjiecimens not elsewhere to be met with. For 

 the arrangement of provincial or private collections they will serve 

 as useful models, showing the latest improvements which have been 

 made in classification. They will greatly facilitate scientific inter- 

 course, and the exchanging of duplicates with the public museums 

 abroad, showing at once the amount of our riches and of our wants, 

 M'hile they will also tend to diffuse through the zoological world a 

 well-digested aiul universally accepted nomenclature. The value of 

 these catalogues is further increased by their enumerating not merely 

 every species but every specimen ; the latter being indicated by the 

 letters of the alphabet, with a statement of the exact localities and 



