18 BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY) 



end of the Gallery were re -arranged and provided with internal lighting 

 for exhibits of minerals of the pegmatite veins, of the metalliferous veins, 

 and of metamorphic rocks and orbicular granites. 



Study Collections. 



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

 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, and were assisted 

 in their investigations. 



Great improvements were made in the Osteological Room, where 

 repainting and relighting has converted a dismal basement into a pleasant 

 working place. An X-ray room (the apparatus being a gift from an 

 anonymous donor) was installed and has proved to be of great use in 

 various sections of the Department of Zoology. Much research, revision- 

 ary work, and re -arrangement was done throughout this Department; 

 in particular a great deal of time being devoted to the working out of 

 various large Antarctic marine collections. 



In the Department of Entomology considerable advance was made 

 with the re -organization of the British collections of Lepidoptera, Diptera, 

 and Hymenoptera. In the general collections of Diptera attention was 

 chiefly paid to re visional work on crane flies, and to certain brachycerous 

 families, notably the Asihdae. In the Lepidoptera the immense task 

 of incorporating the Oberthiir, Joicey, Adams, and Fruhstorfer collections 

 was continued, and the amalgamation of the Frey and Stainton col- 

 lections with the general collection was at last after many years completed. 

 In the beetles, a revision of the Carabidae of New Zealand was com- 

 menced, and substantial progTess was made with the re -arrangement of 

 the Dytiscidae and Gyrinidae. In the Hymenoptera the incorporation 

 of the Donisthorpe collection of ants was completed. In the Orthoptera 

 a long overdue re -organization of the Grylhdae and Tettigoniidae was 

 in progress. The Neuropterous orders were strikingly enriched from the 

 Tillyard collections. The systematic arrangement of the Isoptera 

 (Termites) was completed, and, after a lapse of many years, work was 

 begun again on the Apterygota. Close collaboration with the Imperial 

 Institute of Entomology continued, and assistance or advice was 

 tendered to many government departments, numerous business firms, 

 and private individuals as a result of inquiries concerning insect pests. 

 In the Department of Geology much work was done on Pleistocene 

 Mammals from East Africa, Chelonia, French Miocene and Pliocene 

 Gastropoda and LamelKbranchia, Inferior Oolite LameUibranchia, Triassic 

 Arthropoda from Australia, Jurassic Brachiopoda, Palaeozoic Corals, and 

 Eocene Plants. 142 thin sections of various fossils and 40 plant cuticle 

 preparations were made for the purpose of study. Many casts were 

 prepared and further progress was made with the skeletal impression of 

 the Amphibian Cyclotosaurus. The transference of the fossil fishes from 

 wall- cases in the Gallery to new storage cases in the basement was 

 continued. 



In the Department of Mineralogy all specimens received were 

 identified, labelled, and registered. X-ray photographs were taken of 

 177 mineral specimens and provided bases for very interesting work on 

 a variety of minerals. Twenty chemical analyses were made. Large 



