110 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



The preliminary re-arrangement of the exhibition series 

 throughout the whole Gallery has been completed, and more 

 than half the cases are now filled by new and beautifully 

 mounted specimens. The old specimens when of historic 

 value have been unmounted and the remainder placed 

 among the duplicates. 



The mounting of the nev/ specimens has mainly been 

 executed by Mr. Cullingford, of Durham. 



Three new groups of British birds, with their nests, have 

 been added during the year, viz. : — The Rock-dove {Columba 

 livia), presented by Capt. S. G. Reid, G. A. St. Quintiu, and 

 W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Esqrs. The Lesser- spotted Woodpecker 

 (Bendrocopus minor), presented by A. M. Blake, Esq., c.b. 

 Leach's Fork-tailed Petrel (OceanodToma leucorrhoa), pre- 

 sented by Hugh G. Barclay, Esq. 



Rapid progress continues to be made with the re -arrange- 

 ment of the collections of eggs and skeletons. 



Up to December 1899 twenty-eight thousand specimens of 

 eggs had been catalogued by Mr. Eugene Gates, and nearly 

 the whole collection labelled and made available for reference, 

 including the accessions since the late Mr. Seebohm made the 

 preliminary arrangement. 



The re-arrangement and determination of the collection of 

 bird skeletons continues to make satisfactory progress. Mr. 

 W. P. Pycraft has carefully determined those of the Grebes, 

 Divers, Struthious birds, Tiamous, and a large number of speci- 

 mens, both adults and embryos, have been added to the series. 



The actual number of specimens registered during the past 

 year is 5,626 (exclusive of the Godman-Salvin Collection). 

 All of these have been incorporated, and the recent acquisi- 

 tions neatly labelled. 



Much assistance in the latter work has been voluntarily 

 given by Mr. Robert Reid. 



Reptilia, Batrachia, and Pisces. — In addition to the usual 

 work connected with the maintenance and increase of the 

 collections, a special effort has been made towards the 

 improvement of the series of Fish-skeletons, which was 

 totally insufficient for study, about 200 skeletons having 

 been prepared, representing nearly as many genera. 



Want of space in the spirit-building for the accommodation 

 of the collection is beginning to be very seriously felt, the 

 cases devoted to certain groups being so crowded as to admit 

 of no further additions. 



The Assistant in charge of the collection has continued to 

 devote some of his time to the study of the African Fresh- 

 water Fishes, and it is in that department that the most 

 remarkable additions have been made during the year. On 

 the recommendation of Dr. J. Anderson, supported by eminent 

 men of science in this country, the Egyptian Government 

 have started a survey of the Fish-fauna of the Nile, the 

 results of which will be worked out in the Museum, where a 



