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it not only contains the accumulation of years made by Mr. Bowring 

 himself in China, but also large accessions made to it by purchase ; 

 fine series of the treasures collected by Mi*. Wallace, during his 

 seven years' labours in the Eastern Archipelago ; full series of the 

 species accumulated by Mr. Fortune in North China ; a splendid col- 

 lection of Coleoptera from Java, and an extensive series of species 

 from India, collected by Mr. Brettingham. One of the most valuable 

 and interesting portions of this presentation is undoubtedly the com- 

 plete private collection of Longicorns purchased of M. Chevrolat: this 

 collection consists of 10,500 specimens, representing 4500 species. In 

 this gift is also included the well-known collection of Geodephaga 

 made by Mr, Tatum, consisting of 5263 specimens. The unrivalled 

 collection of Curculionidae formerly belonging to M. Jekel also con- 

 stitutes a part of the Bovvringian donation : these, and others too nume- 

 rous to be mentioned here, obtained by purchase, certainly altogether 

 Constitute the most noble and liberal gift of insects to the national 

 collection ever made ; and I should be negligent indeed if I did not 

 state that this munificent donation vi'as made by Mr. Bowring unfet- 

 tered by any conditions. 



A fitting record of such a noble gift I feel you will all think 

 desirable ; this I cannot pretend to offer you ; such a memorial must 

 be worked out by a competent Coleopterist : I must content myself 

 with stating that the Bowringian collection contains 84,240 specimens, 

 arranged in three cabinets of forty drawers each, and fourteen cabinets 

 of twenty drawers each. 



Every Entomologist must, I am sure, rejoice in the knowledge that 

 such a fine collection has become the property of the nation, and that 

 it is now so freely open for consultation to every Coleopterist. 



The proper arrangement of such an enormous addition to the 

 already matchless collection of the Museum is indeed " a consumma- 

 tion devoutly to be wished," and such a Herculean task would no 

 doubt be greatly expedited by the aid of Entomologists specially 

 competent to undertake different portions. You are well aware that 

 the present staff" of officers in the Entomological department of the 

 Museum must necessarily be years at work before any approach to an 

 arrangement can be looked for. A feeling such as I have indicated 

 has already shown itself in various ways, but never, in my opinion, in 

 a way likely to attain so desirable an end. I have read several articles 

 published in our periodicals touching upon this subject, but also, I 

 am sorry to say, containing reflections upon the Museum authorities, 



2 c 



