12 



BEITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY) 



Southampton Docks, the identification of mollusca]! vectors of 

 Schistosoma in Iraq etc. ; marine borers (Singapore, Palestine, Dover, 

 etc.) ; destruction of crops by HeUcella, and the infestation of houses 

 b}^ slugs. In the Department of Entomology approximately 1,000 

 economic inquiries were dealt with by correspondence and 776 by 

 interviews. Work was continued on the chemical treatment of wood 

 against the attacks of Lyctus and Anobium, and studies of a preliminary 

 nature were made on the rhododendron bug {Stephanitis rhododendri), 

 the seasonal variation of the so-called species of some psyllids found on 

 pear, and the swarming periods of apple and pear coccids. Numerous 

 inquiries from governmental sources and other public bodies were 

 dealt with during the year. St. Luke's Church, Old Street, and the 

 church at Crowhurst were examined and reported on. A considerable 

 time was devoted to the compilation of the clothes moth pamphlet, 

 wliich was published during the year. 



Acquisitions. 

 The number of acquisitions in the several Departments during the 

 year, apart from specimens received too late for incorporation and from 

 books, was as follows : — 



Department. 



Purchases. 



Donations, 



Exchanges, 



etc. 



Total. 



Zoology 



Entomology 



Geology 



Mineralogy 

 Botany 



3.204 



186.812 



283 



209 



9,802 



38,399 



81,676 



7,855 



3,408 



77,871 



41,603 



268,488 



8,138 



3,617 



87,673 



Totals ... 



200,310 



209,209 



409,519 



The number of separate presents received during the year was 

 3,088, among the more interesting of them being : — 



From His Majesty the King of the Hedjaz and Nejd : collections 

 comprising a large series of rock specimens, 320 plants, 42 mammals, 

 39 birds, about 400 insects and 2,323 geological specimens collected by 

 Mr. H. St. John Philby on his journey across the Arabian desert ; of 

 greatest interest was meteoric iron and silica-glass from the site of the 

 legendary ancient city of Wabar. 



From Mr. A. S. Vernay : a collection of 184 mammals, 29 reptiles, 

 34 fishes, and 500 butterflies (including a specimen of the rare 

 Rhinoceros sondaicus) from the Malay Peninsula ; and a collection 

 of 60 mammals, 590 birds, and 254 floM^ering plants, obtained during 

 the Vernay-Lang Kalahari expedition in 1930. 



From Sir William Gowers, G.C.M.G. : an exceptionally fine jjair of 

 elephant tusks, which have been exhibited on loan in the Museum 

 since 1930. 



From Sir Richard Dane, K.C.I.E. : a collection of over 70 big game 

 trophies from India and Africa. 



From Mr. Gilbert Blaine : a mounted specimen of the African lion. 



From His Excellency the Governor of Sierra Leone : the skull of a 

 specimen of a dwarf race of African elephant, shot in the Gola forest. 



