﻿154 
  Letters, 
  Extracts, 
  Notices, 
  ^c. 
  

  

  Museum 
  this 
  collection 
  consisted 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  number 
  of 
  

   specimens 
  of 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  historical 
  value, 
  and 
  of 
  an 
  im- 
  

   perfect 
  series 
  of 
  deteriorated 
  specimens 
  of 
  those 
  of 
  British 
  

   species, 
  which 
  were 
  exhibited 
  in 
  three 
  table-cases. 
  The 
  

   first 
  important 
  addition 
  was 
  received 
  in 
  the 
  ' 
  Gould 
  ' 
  

   Collection, 
  purchased 
  in 
  1881; 
  other 
  miscellaneous 
  series 
  

   followed 
  ; 
  and 
  finally, 
  the 
  magnificent 
  donations 
  of 
  Europaeo- 
  

   Asiatic 
  species 
  by 
  Messrs. 
  Godman, 
  Salvin, 
  and 
  Seebohm, 
  

   and 
  of 
  Indian 
  eggs 
  by 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  O. 
  Hume, 
  added 
  so 
  much 
  to 
  

   the 
  number 
  of 
  specimens, 
  and 
  imparted 
  such 
  a 
  great 
  value 
  

   to 
  this 
  collection, 
  that 
  its 
  systematic 
  arrangement 
  could 
  be 
  

   no 
  longer 
  delayed. 
  At 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  a 
  

   perfect 
  series 
  of 
  British 
  Birds' 
  Eggs 
  for 
  exhibition 
  and 
  con- 
  

   sultation 
  by 
  the 
  public 
  had 
  become 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  urgent. 
  

   A 
  requisite 
  grant 
  having 
  been 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  Lords 
  Commis- 
  

   sioners 
  of 
  the 
  Treasury, 
  Mr. 
  Seebohm 
  undertook 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  

   arranging 
  both 
  the 
  general 
  and 
  the 
  British 
  series, 
  and 
  in 
  

   the 
  course 
  of 
  this 
  year 
  he 
  has 
  made 
  such 
  progress 
  that 
  about 
  

   24,000 
  specimens, 
  belonging 
  to 
  fifteen 
  families, 
  are 
  catalogued 
  

   and 
  beautifully 
  arranged 
  in 
  thirteen 
  cabinets, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  

   British 
  series 
  can 
  probably 
  be 
  opened 
  to 
  the 
  public 
  in 
  the 
  

   present 
  year.''* 
  

  

  Amongst 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  acquisitions 
  in 
  the 
  Zoological 
  

   Department 
  are 
  specially 
  mentioned 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  first 
  instalment 
  of 
  a 
  collection 
  of 
  birds' 
  eggs, 
  

   comprising 
  upwards 
  of 
  five 
  thousand 
  specimens, 
  belonging 
  to 
  

   the 
  following 
  families 
  : 
  — 
  Spheniscidce, 
  Procellariidai, 
  A/cidce, 
  

   Laridce, 
  Charadriida, 
  Turnicidce, 
  Gallince, 
  Rallidce, 
  Ardeidm, 
  

   CoJymbidce, 
  Podicipetidce, 
  Anatidce, 
  Pelecanida, 
  and 
  Accipitres 
  ; 
  

   presented 
  by 
  Henry 
  Seebohm, 
  Esq. 
  

  

  (2) 
  The 
  collection 
  of 
  eggs 
  of 
  Laridce, 
  formed 
  and 
  pre- 
  

   sented 
  by 
  Howard 
  Saunders, 
  Esq., 
  five 
  hundred 
  and 
  one 
  

   in 
  number. 
  This 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  collections 
  

   of 
  this 
  family, 
  all 
  the 
  sj)ecimens 
  having 
  been 
  authenticated 
  

   by 
  the 
  donor 
  himself 
  as 
  regards 
  origin, 
  locality, 
  and 
  other 
  

   particulars. 
  

  

  * 
  [A 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  series, 
  we 
  may 
  state, 
  is 
  already 
  on 
  view. 
  — 
  

  

  Ed.] 
  

  

  