98 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Apart from letters received on the subject of economic 

 biology, it may be convenient to note here a few examples of 

 the many inquiries on divers subjects more or less connected 

 with natural history. For instance, one correspondent asks 

 which is the best simple text-book on the wild flowers of 

 Somersetshire ; another sends a specimen of stone found in 

 his gravel-pit, asking that it may be examined and the result 

 made known to him ; another wishes to be informed what is 

 the best preventive for " grease " in butterflies and moths ; 

 others ask such questions as " Do terns catch oysters ? " " Is 

 cork wood ? " &;c. ; and numerous inquiries are received as to 

 the best methods of exterminating " black beetles," moths, 

 ants, and mites infesting dwelling-houses. 



Theft of Pearls. 



A few pearls, of the value in all of 70L, were stolen from 

 one of the cases in the Shell Gallery exhibiting specimens of 

 the pearl-oyster. 



The number of police constables engaged in warding the 

 galleries on Sunday afternoons has been increased by three 

 men, and a Commissionaire has been added to the week-day 

 staff" of warders. 



Purchases. 



Among the more important acquisitions by purchase made 

 during the year, special mention may be made of the 

 collection of Asiatic moths formed by the late Mr. J. H. 

 Leech, the first portion of which, consisting of 3,385 Sphinges 

 and Bombyas (234 being types), has been received at the 

 Museum ; a second instalment of the Norman collection of 

 marine invertebrates, «Sz;c., including the remainder of the 

 British Echinoderms, 3,000 species of Entomostraca, 49 species 

 of Mediterranean Copepoda, 925 microscopic preparations of 

 Entomostraca, and collections of Polychssta, Tunicata, 

 Mollusca, Crustacea, Anthozoa, &c. ; a fine specimen of the 

 African Rhinoceros ; a selection of 455 Forficulidce, including 

 all the types, from the celebrated De Bormans collection ; 

 specimens of Mososaurians and other fossil remains new to 

 the Museum, from Kansas ; the fine . collection made by 

 Dr. William Clark of fossil fishes from the Cleveland Shales 

 near Berea, Ohio, U.S.A., numbering over 200 specimens, and 

 comprising 13 types and 8 co-types ; the Bescherelle herbarium 

 of exotic mosses and hepatics, consisting of 14,800 specimens 

 of Musci; and 3,500 of Hepaticee, very rich in types ; and a 

 complete set (3,600 specimens) of the Ellis and Everhard 

 series of North American fungi, the want of which has been 

 much felt in the herberium for the last fifteen years. 



