94 



ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



as compared with 77,658 in the year 1890. 



69,270 „ 1889. 



44,087 „ 1888. 



65,199 „ 1887. 



36,358 „ 1886. 



123,358 „ 1885. 



45,574 „ 1884. 



31,466 „ 1883. 



19,902 „ 1882. 



The most important acquisitions were the following : — 



1. The celebrated collection of heads and horns of the Big 

 Game of India and Central Asia, formed and presented by 

 A. 0. Hume, Esq., c.B. This collection consisted of two hundred 

 and twenty-three heads, referable to about thirty-six species, 

 besides a number of duplicates. Many of them are of 

 extraordinary development, and of a size but rarely attained 

 by those animals. After having been exhibited for some 

 months in one of the corridors of the Museum, the specimens 

 are now being mounted for the Mammalian and Osteological 

 Galleries. 



2. A most valuable collection of Indian Mammals, consisting 

 of one hundred and eighty skins and sixty-seven specimens 

 preserved in spirits ; presented by W. T. Blanford, Esq., F.R.s. 

 This collection contains several extremely rare animals, as the 

 Sikkim Stag {Cervus affinis), and part of the materials used 

 by the donor in preparing his work on Indian Mammals. 



3. The seventh instalment of the Salvin-Godman collection 

 of Birds, referred to in the Report for 1885. This series 

 consists of five thousand and ninety -five specimens, and con- 

 tains three types and twenty-seven species new to the 

 collection. 



4. The first instalment of a collection of Birds' Eggs, com- 

 prising upwards of five thousand specimens, belonging to the 

 following families : Spheniscidce, Procellariidce, Alcidca, 

 LaridoB, Charadriidce, Tumicidoi, Gallince, Rallidce, Ar- 

 deidoi, Colymbidce, Podicipetidce, Anatidce, Pelicanidce, 

 and Accipitres ; presented by Henry Seebohm, Esq. 



5. The Lords of the Admiralty have presented two other con- 

 signments of zoological specimens collected by J. J. Walker, 

 Esq., Chief Engineer of H.M.S. "Penguin," under the command 

 of Commander W. TJ. Moore. The specimens were collected 

 chiefly in Tasmania and on the North- West Coast of Australia, 

 and include a particularly valuable series of Coleoptera, an 

 order of Insects to which the collector pays particular atten- 

 tion ; but he by no means neglected his opportunities of 



t»reserving 



