14 ACCOUNTS, ESTIMATES, &C. OF BRITISH MUSEUM. 



An extensive collection of Ethnographical objects, which formed the Museum of Haslar 

 Hospital, presented by the Lords of the Admiralty. 



Several Gold Ornaments and Beads from the Ashantee country, presented by Mrs. Lee. 



A Jade Ear-ring, one of the heirlooms of the Ngatitoa Tribe, in New Zealand. It is 

 known by the name of Kaitangata, and has descended through several generations from Te- 

 Ngahue, one of the Polynesian discoverers of New Zealand ; presented by His Excellency 

 Sir George Grey, k. c. b. 



A collection of Spears from the South Sea Islands, presented by Henry Latham, Esq. 



The acquisitions of Antiquities have been registered, marked, and incorporated, with the 

 exception of the large Assyrian and Ethnographical collections. 



Coins and Medals acquired during the Year 1855 : 



Greek - 

 Roman - 

 Byzantine 

 Oriental 

 Medieval and"! 

 Modern J 



Of these, 836 remain unregistered. 



Gold. 



Silver. 



Copper. 



16 - - 



63 - - 



51 



16 - - 



48 - - 



19 



6 - - 



3 - - 



1 



22 - - 



19 - - 



93 



173 - - 681 - - 808 



233 814 972 = 2,019 



In the Greek series the following may be mentioned as among the most valuable acquisi- 

 tions : — A very early Didrachm of Corinth ; two rare Copper Coins of the same city; a 

 Coin of Gortyna, in Arcadia, (a town no coins of which were previously known to numis- 

 matists,) another of Orchomenus, indicating the existence of a Boeotian League, a Copper 

 Coin of Nineveh, under the Romans (Niniva Claudiopohs), a very rare Coin of Termessus, 

 and early pieces struck at Gnossus and Cyrene. 



The Roman series has been enriched by the acquisition of several fine Medallions, among 

 which, one of Antoninus Pius may be specified on account of its beauty, and another of 

 Probus, for its rarity. 



Important coins have been also added to the Roman Family series, and to the Roman Gold. 



To the collection of Medieval and Modern Coins large additions have been made, par- 

 ticularly by the purchase of a series of 535 Italian Coins, comprising many of great rarity, 

 for example, those of the Kings of Italy, and of the Lombard Dukes ofBenevento. A 

 considerable number of Spanish Coins has been acquired, among which maybe noticed, 

 two Gold Pieces of the kind known as Dobla de la Vanda, struck by John I. or II., of 

 Castile. Two Coins of Offa, King of Mercia, one of which was presented by the Rev. J. 

 Oiivry North, have been added to the Saxon series; while several English Gold Coins have 

 been purchased, and the collection of British and Colonial Tokens has been rendered 

 almost complete by acquisitions made at Mr. Conder's sale. 



1,446 Visitors have been admitted to examine the Coins, &c. in the Medal Room in the 

 course of the year. 



3,594 Visits by Students in the Galleries. 



Edward Hawkins. 



Departmewt of Natural History. 



Zoological Branch. 



The Collection of Mammalia, Birds, Reptiles, Fish, Shells, Corals, &c., which are 

 exhibited in the Public Rooms have been cleaned and have been re-arranged according to 

 the modern discoveries in science. This has also been done with the specimens of 

 Vertebrated, Molluscous, Annulose and Radiated animals preserved in spirits, and the large 

 collection of Skeletons of vertebrated animals. 



The General Collections of Insects and Crustacea have received considerable additions, 

 \\hich have been arranged in their appropriate systematic places. In the course of last 

 year several parts of these Collections, namely, the Nocturnal Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, 

 biptera, Neuroptera, and certain families of Coleoptera and Crustacea, have been entirely 

 re-arranged, catalogued, and described. 



During the year 1855, there have been added to the several parts of the Zoological Col- 

 lection 24,378 specimens of the different classes of animals ; viz. : Vertebrated Animals, 

 4,865; Annulose Animals, 16,173; Molluscous and Radiated Animals, 4,340 ; and in thig 



number 



