14 BRITISH MUSEFM. 



From the New Jersey Zinc Company : a block of Willemite weighing 

 139 lb. 



From Mr. C. C. Lacaita : 3,000 specimens of European plants, mainly 

 Italian and Spanish. 



Three mounted mammals were presented to the Museum during the 

 year under the terms of the Rowland Ward bequest ; and the Trustees 

 received from the executors of the late Mr. William Oldfield a valuable 

 set of mineral specimens, eight in number, consisting of magnificent 

 groups of large crystals of calcite, quartz, and galena, associated with 

 smaller crystals of zinc -blende and copper pyrites. These specimens, 

 which came from the Snailbeach Mine in Shropshire, are exhibited near 

 the entrance to the Mineral Gallery. 



Important purchases included a mounted specimen of the King 

 Cheetah ; a stuffed giant tortoise from the Seychelles ; 75 mammals, 

 174 reptiles and batrachians, 324 fishes, and a number of parasitic worms 

 from Brazil ; 900 specimens (representing 400 species) of Polychaeta 

 from European waters ; 33 type and six co-type specimens of Lepi- 

 doptera from the late Sir Frederick Jackson's collection ; 26 type and 

 five co-type specimens of Japanese Lepidoptera ; the late Prof. E. 

 Piaget's collection of Mallophaga, consisting of 2,150 preparations and 

 including 330 types ; a specimen of the fossil fish Squatina acanthoderma 

 from Bavaria ; a fine specimen of a rare fish from the Lias of Holzmaden, 

 Wiirtemburg ; an exceptionally fine topaz crystal Aveighing 2,290 grams 

 (5 lb.) from Madagascar ; 739 Moroccan plants ; and 505 flowering 

 plants and ferns from the British Cameroons. 



Collecting Expeditions. 



The work of the British Museum East Africa Expedition continued at 

 Tendaguru, Tanganyika Territory, during the year, under Dr. John 

 Parkinson and Major T. Deacon. The results were disappointing, owing 

 in part to the fact that Dr. Parkinson had to come to England for a period 

 in the middle of the year on account of his health, and that Major Deacon 

 had to leave Tendaguru owing to illness almost as soon as Dr. Parkinson 

 returned. During the rainy season when excavation at Tendaguru was 

 impracticable. Dr. Parkinson explored certain fossil deposits in Kenya 

 Colony. It is hoped with the aid of private subscriptions and of a grant 

 from the Government of Tanganyika Territory to continue the work at 

 Tendaguru in 1929. 



Dr. Cuthbert Christy returned from his expedition to Lake Tangan- 

 yika, having made a very valuable collection of fishes comprising several 

 thousand specimens. 



An important zoological collection was presented to the Museum as 

 a result of a joint Franco-British expedition to French Indo-China, made 

 during 1927-1928, under the leadership of Monsieur Jean Delacour. 

 The British Museum, which was represented by Mr. Willoughby P. 

 Lowe, was enabled to participate by the generosity of Mr. J. Spedan 

 Lewis, who contributed £500 to the funds of the expedition for that 

 special purpose. The specimens collected were shared with the Paris 

 Museum, the British Museum receiving 151 mammals, 1,794 birds, 

 including 12 types, and 78 birds in spirit, and a number of reptiles and 

 fishes. 



