14 BRITISH MUSEUM. 



the collection of the late Dr. Thomas Wright ; Cretaceous sponges from 

 Germany ; a large mass of Haematite from Old Parkside Mine, 

 Frizington, Cumberland ; a piece, weighing 1,181 grams, of the meteoric 

 stone which fell on 19 June, 1924, at Olivenza, Badajoz, Spain ; 244 

 original coloured drawings of Ngamiland plants ; and plants from Spain 

 and Chile. 



An important acquisition was the head and shoulders, flippers, tail, 

 and dorsal fin of a Sei Whale, nearly 50 feet in length, stranded at 

 Portskewett, Monmouthshire. 



Collecting Expeditions. 



The Austraha and Islands Expedition, conducted by Capt. G. H. 

 Wilkins, completed its work, having been in progress for two and a 

 half years. The results were, in general, very satisfactory, at least 

 5,000 specimens having been collected, man}^ of them from very 

 inaccessible locahties, and a certain number of new species discovered. 

 The cost of the Expedition amounted to £3,010, as compared with an 

 original estimate of £3,000 for a two years' exploration ; and it 

 would have been much greater if Captain Wilkins had not been most 

 successful in making arrangements advantageous to the Museum, 

 and in seizing opportunities of earning revenue for the Expedition. 



The East Africa Expedition sustained a severe loss by the death of 

 Mr. W. E. Cutler, its leader, at Lindi, on 30 August. Steps were 

 at once taken to safeguard the specimens collected, many of which 

 were then awaiting shipment. At the earUest opportunity Mr. F. 

 W. H. Migeod was selected as leader of the Expedition and sent out 

 to continue Mr. Cutler's work, and he was followed by Major T. 

 Deacon as assistant. Large consignments of fossil bones have 

 reached the Museum, and more are on their way. 



Efforts were made to raise a " Tanganyika Fund " to supplement 

 the Museum funds available for expenditure on this Expedition, 

 and to enable the Trustees to keep it in the field sufficiently long 

 to obtain really satisfactory results. Owing mainly to the generosity 

 of a few donors who gave comparatively large contributions, in 

 particular the Duke of Bedford, K.G., F.R.S., Mr. E. Whitley, 

 Mr. W. M. Christy, the Darwin Fund of the Royal Society, and the 

 Percy Sladen Trustees, the fund has reached a total of over £1,000. 



The resources of the Godman Exploration Fund, re-inforced by 

 substantial and generous contributions from Mr. J. Spedan Lewis 

 and Mr. Oldfield Thomas, F.R.S., were utihsed for collecting work 

 in Peru, Argentina, Tonkin, and Aimam. Valuable collections were 

 received, but the material results of Mr. Willoughby P. Lowe's work 

 in Tonkin and Annam have not yet arrived, although very encouraging 

 reports have been received of the success of the Expedition. 



An expedition to Tunisia by Mr. Willoughby P. Lowe, the cost 

 of which was generously borne by ]\Ir. Arthur Vernay, resulted in 

 the presentation to the Museum of 687 birds and other specimens. 



Other expeditions in progress during the year from which the 

 Museum will benefit were one by Dr. Cuthbert Christy, to obtain 

 specimens of the fauna of Lake Nyasa and its neighbourhood, and 

 another to the Caucasus by the Hon. Ivor Montagu. 



Exchanges, Loans, etc. 



Specimens were exchanged with, and duplicates presented to, 

 certain institutions and private persons. 



