100 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



published. Besides, all the type specimens have been 

 ticketed with special conspicuous labels, and a large number 

 of specimens had to be remounted. 



Although, on the surface, this work would appear to have 

 occupied Mr. Butler nearly six years, it must be remembered 

 that for at least half of that time he was engaged on 

 other duties as Assistant Keeper of the Department. 



In the other sections of the Department the work of 

 arrangement has made progress as follows : — 



1. The greater part of the additions to the collection of 

 Mammalia have been entered in the Catalogues as soon as 

 they were examined and named. 



2. The arrangement of the Study Collection of Bird-skins 

 has proceeded with the progress of the " Catalogue." This 

 work has absorbed, as in the preceding years, the by far 

 greater portion of the time of the ornithological assistants, 

 and is steadily urged forward towards its completion. But, 

 besides, the series of skins included in volumes 10 and 11 has 

 been expanded so as to gain room for numerous specimens 

 which have been added to them during recent years, and to 

 allow for future accessions. The Waders, Gidls, Petrels, 

 Herons, Divers, Pelicans, Cormorants, Geese, Ducks and 

 Tinamous have been sorted for examination and description 

 in the " Catalogue." 



The collection of Bird-skeletons has been transferred from 

 the Western Tower to two rooms in the basement, where they 

 have been thoroughly re-arrangcd, the accessions being 

 entered in the manuscript list. To facilitate the finding of 

 specimens each box has been marked with a reference to the 

 volume and page of the " Catalogue of Birds." Finally, the 

 re-arrangement of the exhibited series of Birds has been 

 commenced, but, as was anticipated, the history of every 

 specimen which for some reason is removed from the gallery^ 

 has to be investigated, with the view of unmounting and 

 preserving it for the study series, in case it should have 

 been described or referred to in ornithological literature. 



8. The additions to the collections of Eeptiles and Fishes 

 have been incorporated, and for the most part named and 

 entered in the Catalogues. The re-arrangement of the 

 collection of Snakes and of Percoid Fishes has been con- 

 tinued. 



4. The species of the genera Pirula, Morio, and Lam- 

 hidium have been determined and re-arranged. Large and 

 important collections of Mollusca from Central Africa, 

 various islands of the East Indian Archipelago and from 

 West Australia ; also a valuable series of deep-sea forms 

 from the Indian Ocean, obtained by H.M. Indian Marine 

 Survey Steamer " Investigator, ' have been examined and 

 incorporated. In connection with this work the nomen- 

 clature 



