16 BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY) 



Additions to the Geological Galleries included a large evolutionary 

 series of the remarkable Lamellibranch group, the Rudists. Considerable 

 progress was made in the re-arrangement of the Fossil Fish Gallery, and 

 the Diorama of Upper Old Red Sandstone fishes was completed. 



The more important of the specimens acquired in the Department 

 of Minerals were temporarily exhibited in the recent additions case. 

 The exhibit illustrating the fluorescence of certain minerals in ultra- 

 violet light was re-arranged, and a set of silicon-oxygen framework models 

 was placed on exhibition, together with a series of close-packed structure 

 models, constructed in the Department. A special exhibit of Libyan 

 Desert glass, etc., was made for the meeting of the Mineralogical Society 

 in June. 



In the Department of Botany no alteration was made in the exhibition 

 series. The cleaning and painting of the exhibition cases was continued. 



Study Collections. 



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

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

 Trustees were 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. 



In several sections of the Department of Zoology a great deal of time 

 was taken up in planning and making preparations for the re-arrange- 

 ments required by the approaching occupation of the new buildings. 

 This to some extent interfered with the research work of the staff and of 

 visiting investigators, but much revisionary work, and consequent 

 re -arrangement of the collections, was done, including work on the 

 Lacertilian genus Lygosoma, sub-antarctic fishes collected by the 

 "Discovery," African Cichlid fishes, and the Polychaeta of the "Dis- 

 covery " Expedition. The appointment of an Assistant Keeper to take 

 charge of Echinoderms enabled a fresh beginning to be made with work 

 on this group, which had been neglected for a great many years. 



In the Department of Entomology the usual routine work proceeded 

 steadily. In the Diptera the Micropezidse and Ephydridae were re- 

 arranged, and many small collections were worked through. In the 

 Hymenoptera the Symphyta and Parasitica received most attention. 

 In the Coleoptera work on larvae was continued, and many groups were 

 revised. In the Lepidoptera the famihes Xyloryctidse, Stenomidse, 

 and Hepialidae were re -arranged. In the Neuropterous series a revision 

 of the Tasmanian caddis-flies was completed, and the Plecoptera collection 

 was expanded. In the Hemiptera sections of the Coreidae and Jassidse 

 were expanded, and considerable revision of the Coccidse and Psylhdse 

 was effected; particular attention was also paid to the termites. Con- 

 siderable progress was made with the card indexes. 



In the Department of Geology much work was done on Pleistocene 

 mammals from East Africa, Paleozoic Gastropoda and Lamellibranchia, 

 chalk Mollusca and Brachiopoda, Palaeozoic corals, and Tertiary plants. 

 93 thin sections of various fossils were made for purposes of study. 



