ACCOUNTS, &C. OF BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Besides these, 1,074 complete works, and 490 parts and numbers of works in progress, have 

 been acquired by copyright. 



5. The total number of articles received is 24,677, of which, 15,882 are complete works. 

 Of the complete works, 10,495 were purchased, 1,084 presented, and 4,303 were acquired by 

 copyright. 



Department of Natural History. 



Mineralogical Branch. 

 All the arrangements in this branch of the Department have been steadily proceeded 

 with, and with as great regularity as possible. 



The arrangement of the Osseous Remains has considerably progressed during last 

 year; the whole of the Proboscidea and the greater part of the Edentata are removed 

 from Room II. to Room VI., where the skeleton of the Megatherium, lately setup, com- 

 posed of casts from the original bones in the British Museum and in that of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons, now forms the most striking of the gigantic objects deposited in it. 



As regards the arrangement of the Fossil Invertebrate Animals, great progress has been 

 made in it. Thus, of the Cephalopoda, nearly the whole of the collection has been named, 

 arranged and catalogued ; of the Gasteropoda, the species of the Crag have been named 

 and arranged. Likewise those of the Upper Green Sand, and a considerable portion of those 

 from tlie Oolitic rocks. The same may be said of the Conchifera. The Annelides and 

 Cirripedes are in progress, and the Radiata are completed. 



No material alteration has taken place in the systematic arrangement of the Minerals, but 

 supplemental tables have been introduced where considerable additions to the collections 

 required it. Almost all new species that were wanting have been obtained and arranged in 

 their proper places. The number of tickets added to the specimens for their illustration has 

 been greatly increased. 



Nearly the whole of the acquisitions made during the past year have been carefully re- 

 corded in the General Register, of which the eleventh volume is now in progress. The total 

 number of objects entered last year amounts to about 6,000. The index to the preceding 

 10 volumes has lately been finished. 



Among the more remarkable additions to the several collections, in the course of the past 

 year, may be particularized, 



A highly interesting series of crystallized Diamonds, among which are the rarest modifica- 

 tions, several of which were desiderata in the Museum Collection : the suite consists of 62 

 crystallisations, some of them of a perfection not usually met with in this mineral substance. 

 A series of Meteorites : meteoric iron from various localities, of great scarcity and value, 

 such as that from Chester County, United States ; several meteoric stones, among which 

 is that which was seen to fall near Cirencester, the 10th August 1834. An assemblage 

 of Sihceous Stalagmitical Deposits of great beauty, from the hot springs of Luzon, one of 

 the Philippine Islands, collected by Hugh Cuming, Esq. A suite of scarce American specimens 

 obtained through Profiessor Shepard ; together with a number of lately discovered or other- 

 wise interesting mineral substances, purchased of Mr. Heuland, Mr. Krantz, of Berlin, &c. 

 Also a splendid specimen of crystallized and stalactitic Carbonate of Lime from Bermuda, 

 presented by Thomas Baring, Esq., M. P., deserves especial mention. 



Among tiie addition to the Collection of Fossil Fishes are several interesting specimens, 

 such as an undescribed species of Beryx from the Chalk of Alfreston, in Sussex, presented 

 by Capt. G. L. Beckford, and others equally remarkable from Australia, Scotland, Glouces- 

 tershire and other localities. 



Among the general collections of Fossils lately acquired, may be specified the extensive 

 one formed by William Cunnington, Esq., from the Wiltshire Oolites, and the Pentremite 

 Limestone of North America. 



A collection of British Fossils, very rich in specimens from the Crag and London clay, 

 purchased of iVlr. Daniels. 



An extensive series, consisting principally of shells, most of them from tertiary forma- 

 tions at Kotree, Roree, Tala and Kurabee, East Indies, presented by Major Baker. 



Zoological Branch. 



The Osteological Collection has been arranged in the New Osteological Room, in the 

 basement, and the Collections of Fish and Reptiles will, in a few weeks, be removed to 

 the New Rooms, which are in course of preparation for them. 



The arrangement, naming and cataloguing of the Collection have been regularly pro- 

 ceeded with. 



The 10,178 specimens of various classes of Animals which have been added to the 

 Collection during the year 1849, have all been arranged in their systematic places in the 

 several Collections, and have all been regularly ticketed and entered in the Manuscript 

 Catalogue of accessions. 



The 



