BRITISH MUSE[JM (NATURAL HISTORY). 103 



South Kensington and the accesses thereto may be used. The 

 connection between the subway and the grounds of the Natural 

 History Museum was opened for the use of the public on 

 16th December, since when the gates have been open daily 

 during Museum hours. 



Stranded Whales. 



With the assistance of the Board of Trade, arrangements 

 have been made for prompt information being sent to the 

 Museum of the stranding of any whales on the British coasts. 

 A pamphlet describing the different kinds of whales has been 

 prepared by the Museum for distribution by the Board of 

 Trade among Receivers of Wreck, Coastguardmen, Lighthouse 

 Keepers, and others. It is hoped that this pamphlet will aid 

 in the identification of the various species of whales, and thus 

 facilitate the acquisition of specimens that are wanted for the 

 National Collection. 



During the summer a representative of the Museum was 

 sent to the Shetlands to collect specimens illustrating the 

 structure of whales. The results of this mission were very 

 satisfactory, and may be regarded as an encouragement for 

 further work of the same kind in future years. The specimens 

 obtained included the baleen and paddles of two species of 

 Rorqual Whales. 



Dr. Oswald's Expedition to British East Africa. 



Dr. Felix Oswald's expedition to British East Africa to 

 explore the bone-bearing deposit in the Karungu district on 

 the Victoria Nyanza resulted in the acquisition by the Museum 

 of an interesting collection of geological specimens, including 

 remains of Dinotherium, and confirming the geological age of 

 the fauna as already provisionally determined. With these 

 long extinct mammalian remains were found fresh-water shells 

 that are essentially the same as those now living in the same 

 district, thus proving that the Victoria Nyanza has existed 

 since early Tertiary times, and that, while the mammals have 

 changed there as in other regions, the molluscs have remained 

 unmodified during the whole period. 



The Trustees have approved a proposal by the Keeper of 

 the Geological Department to arrange for the preparation of 

 a series of descriptive notes on the collection for publication. 



Loan of Specimens hy Their Majesties the King and Queen. 



By direction of Their Majesties the King and Queen six 

 Lyre Birds' tails have been sent on loan to the Museum. 

 An interesting exhibit has been made of three of the tails, 

 while the remaining three have been placed in the study 

 series. 



