DE1>ARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY. 105 



old and new cases have occupied about five months of the 

 year. During the progress of this work the spirit in many 

 of the bottles had to be renewed and new labels had to be 

 prepared to show the contents of the cases. 



The usual work of conservation has been continued by 

 dusting and cleaning, in rotation, the exhibited specimens, 

 placing the study collections of Bird-skins, Shells, Dried 

 Sponges, Echinoderms, and Polyzoa in glass-topped boxes, 

 and renewing the camphor or naphthaline in the wall cases, 

 store-cabinets, and some of the Insect-drawers. Of other 

 work coming under this heading the following should be 

 specially mentioned : — 



1. Some of the Store-cupboards of the Osteological Gallery 

 and of the Basement Store-room have been refitted with bolts, 

 velvet, &c., so as to better exclude dust. 



Specimens of Mammalia have been mounted for exhibition, 

 such as a Tibetan Bear (Ursus pruinosus) ; a Coke's Harte- 

 beest {Bubalis cokei) ; a Swayne's Hartebeest {Buhalis 

 sivaynei) ; a Tope Hartebeest {Bubalis jimela) ; a Pallah 

 {Aepyceros melampus) ; an East African Gnu {Connochoetes 

 albojubatus) ; a Kudu {Strepticeros kudu) ; a Tibetan Stag 

 (Cervus thoi'oldi). 



Skeletons have also been mounted of a Northern Fur Seal 

 (Oallorhinus ursinus), and a Bottle-nose Whale (Hyperoodon 

 Tostratus). 



2. Three groups, illustrating the nesting habits of British 

 Birds, have been completed, viz. : Greater Black-backed Gull, 

 Dotterel and Greenfinch, A group of Swifts (Collocalia 

 fuciphaga) producers of the edible Swallow-nests, with their 

 nests attached to the rock, has been added to the general 

 collection. Mr. C. Hose, who collected the materials in one 

 of the celebrated caves in Sarawak, superintended personally 

 the construction and mounting of this group. 



3. Further additions have been made to the case containing 

 mounted specimens of Batrachians in the Reptile Gallery. 



Stuffed specimens of Geratodns forsteri, of a Tarpon 

 (Megalops thrissoides) and a Mahaseer (Barbus tor), also two 

 skeletons of large Sword-fishes {Histiophorus brevirostris) 

 have been mounted and exhibited in the Fish Gallery. 



4. A considerable series of shells from the " Morelet " and 

 other collections has been mounted on tablets and placed on 

 exhibition in the table-cases. 



The collection of British shells has been expanded, and 

 additional examples have been mounted and incorporated. 



6-9. A. great number of insects have been set ; others, 

 which had been badly mounte^^ or placed on sliort pins, have 

 been reset, on a higher level, and on the plan now usually 

 adopted in English collections. 



The following additions have been made to the series of 

 0.107. H 3 models 



