10 BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY) 



Miocene mammal {Moro-pus) from U.S.A. ; a forefoot of Baluchitherium ; 

 mammalian remains from the frozen ground of Siberia ; and a diorama 

 showing fossil fishes of Downtonian and Lowest Old Red Sandstone 

 times. The stratigraphical series in the Fossil Reptile Gallery was con- 

 siderably condensed and rearranged, to make room for an exhibit 

 of fossil fishes. 



In the Mineralogical Department a special exhibit was made of the 

 materials (meteoric iron, sihca-glass, etc.) from the meteorite craters 

 recently discovered at Henbury in Central Australia and at Wabar 

 in Arabia. 



Special exhibits of sea-weeds collected by Mr. G. Tandy in Florida, 

 plants and photographs of Mr. H. St. J. Philby's journey across Arabia, 

 and historical material from the Sloane collection Avith "seeds" of 

 Nelumhhtm germinated by R. Brown after 150 years, were set out in 

 the Department of Botany. The collection of plants from Nepal, lent 

 by His Majesty the King, was placed on exhibition. 



Study Collections. 



The usual work of naming, labelling, registering, and incorporatirg 

 accessions continued in all Departments. As in previous years, the 

 Trustees are much indebted to numerous workers who gave their 

 services voluntarily, many of whom worked continuously throughout 

 the year. Research workers were given access to the collections in all 

 Departments and were assisted in their investigations. 



The rearrangement of the African ungulates in the new blocks of 

 cabinets was continued, and a large part of the collection of Carnivora 

 was rearranged and relabelled. In the bird section several large 

 collections were determined and incorporated. In the reptile section 

 systematic revisions were carried out in connexion with the work of 

 determining incoming collections, particularly from north-east Africa 

 and the British West Indies. The oriental agamas and monitors were 

 revised. Among the fishes, the rearrangement of the spirit collection 

 was considerably advanced, and work on the preparation of a catalogue 

 of the flat-fishes (Heterosomata) was continued. The fishes collected 

 by Dr. Christy in Lake Nyasa w^ere studied. All the dry collections 

 of the Arachnida and Myriopoda were moved from the Old Spirit 

 Building to the New Spirit Building, and collections of Mollusca from 

 various parts of the world were reported on. 



In the Department of Entomology, steady progress was made in all 

 Orders in the incorporation of accessions. Important collections dealt 

 with wholly or in part during the year included the Salt collection of 

 Hymenoptera ; parts of the material brought back by the Oxford 

 University Expedition to British Guiana and by the St. George 

 Expedition ; the collections made by Major H. St. J. B. Philby during 

 his crossing of the Rub'al Khali, Arabia ; Miss Cheesman's collections 

 from the New Hebrides ; Colonel Meinertzhagen's from the Ahaggar, 

 Central Sahara ; Mr. Uvarov's from Asia Minor ; and the Bagnall 

 collection of Thysanoptera. A large and valuable selection was made 

 from the late J. J. Joicey's collection of Lepidoptera, and is housed in 

 the Museum, although not yet presented. The Oriental Hesperiidae 

 were entirely rearranged and all accessions incorporated ; and marked 

 progress was made with the expansion and reorganisation of the 

 Tineina, the Trichoptera, the Formicidae, Proctotrupidae, and 

 Mallophaga. 



