80 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Office. The papers cover a wide range, dealing with ^Australia, 

 Nigeria, Quebec, Yukon Territory, New Brunswick, and British 

 Honduras. The Acts passed seem to indicate the existence of a 

 real desire to protect such species as are not economically injurious, 

 and the Trustees have informed the Colonial Office that they view 

 with interest and sympathy the efforts made for the preservation of 

 the native fauna in the Dominions and Colonies. 



Other Investigations. 



At the request of the Army Medical Department, Mr. C. T. 

 Regan, F.R.S., Assistant Keeper of Zoology, visited the Isle of 

 Sheppey in order to inspect the marshes, and gave advice with regard 

 to the introduction of fishes which would eat mosquito larvse. 



Mr. Regan acted as Secretary to the Fisheries Committee of the 

 British Science Guild, and prepared a memorandum on scientific 

 work in relation to fisheries. This was adopted by the Guild and 

 sent by them to the Government Departments concerned. 



An inquiry was received from the Director of Army Contracts, 

 Ministry of Munitions, as to the nature and origin of beetles and 

 maggots found in large quantities in condemned bacon received in 

 Egypt from Australia. A reply was sent to the effect that the 

 beetles in question comprised two species which occurred in both 

 countries, and were in fact cosmopolitan in their distribution ; and 

 that therefore it was not possible to say where the bacon had become 

 infested. 



Advice has been asked by a firm of engineers, and given, in 

 connection with trouble caused by the growth of mussels on the inner 

 surface of pipes carrying sea-water. The matter was immediately 

 concerned with the erection of a large electricity-supply power- 

 house near Edinburgh. 



An inquiry from the Commonwealth of Australia as to the kinds of 

 fish which could be properly described as " Sardines" without infring- 

 ing the Merchandise Marks Act having been referred to the Museum 

 by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Board were informed 

 that in the opinion of the Museum, in this country the term Sardine is 

 restricted to Sardina pilclim'dus, of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, 

 a fish known as the Sardine in its immature condition and as the 

 Pilchard when adult. 



Bequests. 



A pair of splendid Buffalo horns, said to be of record length, 

 have been bequeathed to the Museum by the late Mr. Arthur 

 Forbes, C.S.I., subject to the condition that the horns might re- 

 main in the custody of his son, Barre Cassels Forbes, during his 

 life-time. 



A collection of drawings of Algae, comprising 1,796 sheets, 

 representing not only the British flora but many foreign species, has 

 been bequeathed to the Museum by the late Prof. G. S. West, of 

 Birmingham University. 



