16 



BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY) 



them was given. Various questions relating to plumage and commer- 

 cial matters were submitted by H.M. Customs and by private j&rms, and 

 assistance was given to the Home Office in relation to the protection of 

 British birds. The mite, Liponyssus bacoti, mentioned in the report for 

 1933 and suspected of being a carrier of typhus and of plague, was 

 received from the City of London several times during 1934, its occur- 

 rence in every case being associated with the Black Rat. 



In the Entomological Department the Clothes Moth pamphlet was 

 revised and was largely rewritten, and advice was given on household 

 insects. Much time was spent on the bed-bug campaign, in connexion 

 with which many experiments were carried out in different London 

 boroughs. Lectures were delivered, and exhibitions dealing with this 

 problem were organized. Many entomological inquiries were answered, 

 and others were passed on to those institutions best qualified to deal 

 with them. 



Libraries. 



In the General Library 99 books, 922 volumes of periodicals and 15 

 maps were acquired by purchase and presentation during the year, and 

 of the periodicals 50 were new to the library. The cataloguing of 

 accessions for the whole Museum was carried out, 1,607 books and 28 

 maps being dealt with during the year. 



Among the gifts received were : — 



From the Hon. Mrs. M. Wood : a valuable walnut bookcase of fine 

 workmanship, which was placed in the Librarian's room. 



From Mr. E. Heron- Allen, F.R.S. : a first edition of a very rare book, 

 Conrad Gesner's ' Thesaurus Evonymi Philiatri de Remediis Secretis ' 

 1557. 



From the Library of Congress : a photostat reproduction of the rare 

 periodical I sis, published in one volume at Munich, 1850. 



From Mr. H. J. Mouritz : the MS. note-book of his son, Mr. L. B. 

 Mouritz, on the birds of Southern Rhodesia. 



From Mrs. Greg : a miniature of Buffon. 



From Mr. C. D. Soar : the original drawing by the late Mr. E. T. Reed 

 of the cartoon of the late Sir E. Ray Lankester which appeared in 

 * Punch ' on 24 May, 1905. 



Additions to the Collections. 



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 



12,120 



72.069 



1,391 



575 



17,718 



43,285 



440,166 



7,479 



1,750 



53,660 



55,405 



512,235 



8,870 



2,325 



71,378 



Totals ... 



103,873 



546,340 



650,213 



