512 Proceedings. 
Mammalia.—No important addition has been made to this section of 
the collections, only 34 new specimens having been received, from the 
Smithsonian Institute, U.S. of America. A considerable number of skins 
and skeletons received from England, and included in last year's return, 
are still unmounted. 
The preparations of the Cetacea have been examined and rearranged, 
and several large skeletons mounted, among them is that of the great 
rorqual (Sibbaldius), the goose-beak whale (Berardius), the black-fish 
( Globicephalus ), and the cow-fish ( T'ursio ). 
Birds.—235 skins have been received during the year, the largest 
addition being a collection of 84 species obtained from the Cambridge 
Museum as an exchange. The number of birds mounted and placed on 
exhibition during the year is 400. The extensive collection of birds-eggs 
has received an addition of 65 specimens, and a selection from it has been 
classified and arranged in the Museum cases. 
Fishes.—Convenient shelves have been erected for receiving the alcoholic 
preparations, and cases prepared for the stuffed specimens, but none of the 
recent additions to this class, which comprise a very extensive selection of 
European and American forms, have yet been removed from the tanks in 
which they were received. 
The New Zealand collection has received several interesting additions, 
and now contains nearly all the known species. 
The ‘‘ Descriptive Catalogue of the New Zealand Fishes,” of which an 
edition of 1,000 copies was published in 1872, is now out of print, and a new 
and revised edition is in preparation. 
Invertebrata, —The publication by the department since last report of 
the ** Descriptive Catalogue of the Crustacea,” by J. E. Miers, F.L.S., has 
enabled the collection of this class to be classified and exhibited, but it is 
very imperfect compared with the number of specimens attributed to the 
New Zealand waters. 
The Mollusca have been largely added to, chiefly by foreign collections 
and by alcoholic preparations of the New Zealand Species, a series of which 
it is intended to collect for purposes of study. 
The collection of Insects, both New Zealand and exotic forms, is steadily 
increasing, and arrangements are being made for the publication of cata- 
logues which will embody recent researches on this subject, as at present 
several eminent naturalists in England are engaged in classifying the 
different orders of New Zealand insects, and publishing the results in 
scientific periodicals. 
Ethnological.—Under this heading there are 187 specimens entered, 
. being chiefly a collection of celts and other stone implements and weapons 
