116 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



AVES. 



The remounting of the series of Birds in the General Gallery- 

 has been continued and the old and faded specimens of the 

 Families Dendrocolaptidse, Cotingidse, and Pipridte have been 

 replaced by finely mounted examples. 



The rearrangement and relabelling of the Gould collection 

 of Humming-Birds has been continued. 



The preparation of the fifth volume of the " Catalogue of 

 the Collection of Birds' Eggs," by Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, 

 has been completed. 



A general Index to the five volumes of the Handlist of 

 Birds is in the press, and will be issued early in 1912. 



Lists of Birds believed to require protection in certain 

 British Colonies and Protectorates have been prepared for the 

 information of the Colonial Office. 



The collection of skins in cabinets has been carefully 

 examined, drawer by drawer, or box by box, to ascertain if 

 there is any trace of moth or beetle among them. About half 

 the cabinets have been inspected in this way and camphor has 

 been placed in each drawer. 



Great assistance has been received from Mr. David A. 

 Bannerman, who has been engaged in working out various 

 collections, in labelling a number of old collections, and in 

 preparing them for incorporation. 



The Committee appointed by the Secretary of State for the 

 Colonies to inquire into the question of the destruction of 

 Plumage Birds, including Mr. C. E. Fagan, Dr. Harmer, and 

 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, to represent the Museum, have 

 completed their investigations, but have not yet issued their 

 report. 



The more notable presents are the following: — From the 

 Subscribers to the British Ornithologists' Union Expedition to 

 Dutch New Guinea : A large series of Birds which are of great 

 zoological importance, and form a gift, the value of which 

 can scarcely be over estimated. The magnificent collection of 

 African Birds formed by the late Mr. Boyd Alexander, during 

 his various Expeditions, and given in accordance with his wish 

 to the Trustees, has been handed over by his executors. It 

 includes the types of eighty-four species described by him, and 

 numbers in all four thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight 

 specimens. From Captain E. C. Hardy, R.N. : A valuable 

 collection of Birds [in addition to Mammals and Insects] formed 

 by Mr. Willoughby P. Lowe, who accompanied H.M.S. " Mutine " 

 as naturalist. Captain Hardy was engaged in carrying out a 

 magnetic survey from the Cape of Good Hope to Sierra Leone, 

 and invited Mr. Lowe to join him as his guest for the purpose 

 of collecting specimens for the Natural History Museum. From 

 Mr. G. Blaine : A valuable collection of Birds formed during 

 his travels in Equatorial Africa. From the Grouse Disease 



