ACCOUNTS, &C. OF BRITISH MUSEUM. 



The lists of the various species which have been received by this department in the years 

 1839 and 1840 are ready for the press. 



More than 20,000 of the 21,97fi specimens which have been received by the department 

 during the year ending the 25th December 1840 have been regularly entered in the manu- 

 script catalogue of accessions, and the remainder are in the progress of insertion. 



Between the 25th December 1839 and 25th December 1840, there have been added to 

 the several branches of the zoological collection of the British Museum 21,970 specimens 

 of different classes of animals ; viz. 



Vertebrata - - - - - - 654 



Mollusca - - - - - - 8,164 



Radiata ------ 737 



Annulosa - . - - - - - 12,371 



Total - - - 21,976 



Many of these are scarce and valuable ; among them may be specified — 



A series of Mammalia, some very rare Birds and Reptiles, and a large collection of 

 Shells from the Cape Colony and Port Natal, collected by Dr. Kraus. 



A specimen of Cephaloptera, of Sudis gigas, and some rare Birds from British 

 Guiana, collected by Mr. Schomburgh. 



A series of Birds, Insects, and Shells from Western Australia, collected by Captain 

 George Grey. 



A series of specimens of British Mammalia and Birds, presented by Mr. Baker. 



A series of preserved Fish from the Mauritius. 



A series of Shells from New Zealand, presented by Mrs. Dunn. A series of North 

 American Shells from J. G. Anthony, Esq., of Cincinnati, and a large collection of 

 Shells, selected rrom the w^ell-known cabinet of the late Dr. Goodall. 



A series of radiated animals from St. Vincent's, collected by the Rev. Lansdown 

 Guild ing. 



A very large collection of Insects, selected from the cabinet of J. G. Children, Esq. ; 

 a collection of North American Insects, and a series of Insects from Penang, 



Botanical Branch. 



Since December 1839 the keeper has commenced and made considerable progress in the 

 re-arrangement of the extensive class of plants Compositas, incorporating with the General 

 Herbarium the additional species from the unarranged collections in his department. 



He has completed the examination and incorporation with the arranged Herbarium of the 

 collections from British Guiana, lately received from Mr. Schomburgh, and also of all those 

 from Brazil. 



Since the 25th December 1839 there have been received, either as presents or by pur- 

 chase — 



1,000 species of plants from Brazil. 

 207 species of plants from Peru. 



513 species of plants from Port Natal, in South Africa. 

 258 species of plants from Nubia. 

 A collection of submersed Algae, of Guernsey; and, 



A collection of specimens of Woods, consisting of 805 kinds, formed by the late 

 Mr. Couch, of Plymouth Dock-yard ; also his manuscript, intituled, " Experiments and 

 Observations on Timber." 



Department of Antiquities and Coins. 



In the course of the last year some of the objects in the Elgin Room have been re- 

 arranged, principally with the view of exhibiting connectedly the figures of each separate 

 pediment of the Parthenon, without the intermingling of any other objects. 



The Steles in the Egyptian Saloon have been re-arranged, with a view of placing them in 

 a more ' correct chronological order, and of incorporating with them the late acquisitions 

 li-cm the Anastasi Collection. 



The north-west Vestibule has been appropriated to Egyptian Antiquities ; the two 

 Obelisks, formerly in the Egyptian Saloon, have been placed there, and some of the larger 

 and heavier Steles are now in progress of arrangement there. 



In the Egyptian Room have been placed over the cases casts of two friezes from a small 

 Temple near Kalabsche, part of the collection of Mr. Hay. 



117. C In 



