ACCOUNTS, ESTIMATES, &C. OF BRITISH MUSEUM. 1 9 



A Collection of the smaller European Coleopiera, named by Dr. Maerkel. 

 The types of European Curculionidae, named by Schoenherr and Germar, and some type 

 Specimens of Apions and other Curculionidae ; presented by John Walton, Esq. 

 A series of the Parasites of Bats, described and presented by Dr. Kolenati. 



John Edward Gray. 



Department of Geot.ogy and Mineralogy. 



During the past year the number of specimens added to this Department is about 6,700. 

 Of remains of Vertebrate Animals, the aimve-mentioned number includes upwards of 3,000 

 specimens, made up in great part of a very extensive colleciion of Fossil Bones of various 

 species of Birds and other Animals from New Zealand, collected with great care by Mr. 

 Commissioner Mantell, These Specimens have all been catalogued, and will therefore now be 

 displayed (so far as the crowded state of the Gallery will permit) with as little delay as 

 possible. One of the most remarkable objects in the Collection is the gigantic Bird 

 named Diuornis elephantopus, by Professor Owen, a specimen of which has been mounted 

 and is exhibited in the Sixih Room. 



The acquisitions of Fossil Shells and other Invertebrate Animals amount to about 3,500 

 specimens. Of these a considerable portion has been catalogued, together with a still 

 larger number of specimens previously procured, the total number of specimens labelled 

 and entered being about 5,000. These catalogued specimens have been carefully examined, 

 mounted on tablets, and arranged in the cases. They consist of newer Pliocene Shells from 

 Britain, Sweden, and Sicily ; newer Tertiary Shells, &c. of Porto Santo and the Cana- 

 ries; Eocene Tertiary Shells; Cretaceous, Oolitic, Triassic, and Palaeozoic Fossil Shells 

 and Corals; and about 40 species of Fossil Crustaceans, and 70 species of Echinoder- 

 mata. 



The Mineial Colleciion has been increased by 200 specimens, consisting partly of new 

 species, but chiefly of very choice and fine examples, and new varieties of species already 

 possessed, all of which have been catalogued and arranged. Among the purchased speci- 

 mens may be more particularly notiged some fine examples of a new variety of Wavellite, 

 specimens of Dichroite, Chiastolite, Allanite, and Molybdates of Lead, with various other 

 Lead Ores from North America ; an interesting example of Laminated Native Silver from 

 Mexico ; ChrysocoUa and other Minerals (chieily volcanic) from Lipari and Rocca-Monfina; 

 a large specimen of Rose-coloured Calcareous Spar, from the Cobalt Mines of Riegelsdorf, 

 Hesen ; a very large Rock-Crystal, enclosing doubly terminated Crystals of the same sub- 

 stance, and containing, moreover, Water and detached Crystals of Pyrites, said to be from 

 Madagascar; and a large and finely crystallized specimen of Stilbite, from Australia. 

 Among the donations to this branch of the Collection, the following may be particularized: 

 A portion of a mass of Meteoric Iron, from Madoc, Upper Canada, presented by Sir 

 William E. Logan, f. r. s., &c. ; a fine specimen of Pectolite, from Landellsfoot, Ayrshire, 

 presented by Dr. Heddle ; specimens of Sulphate of Lead and Carbonate of Lime, from 

 Sardinia, presented by M. Barbetti ; and a series of Minerals, from the Antimony Mines 

 of Hiera,Mytilene, presented by CharlesT.Newton, Esq., Her Majesty's Vice-Consul,Mytilene. 

 The chief additions by donation to the Collection of Fossils are, a Skull of the Musk Ox, 

 from the " Drift," at Maidenhead, Berkshire, presented by John Lubbock, Esq. ; a small 

 series of remains of a Fossil Elephant from Asia Minor, presented by J. M. Geils, Esq. ; 

 150 specimens of newer Tertiary Fossils from Porto-Santo, presented by Sir Charles 

 Lyell, F. R. s., 8v.c. ; a series of Graptolites, from Scotland, presented by Professor Harkness; 

 specimens of Entomostraca, by T. R. Jones, Esq., and Foraminifera, by W. K. Parker, Esq.; 

 a series of London Clay Fossils, by J. Slade, Esq. ; 50 Silurian Fossils, by H. Sharpe, Esq. ; 

 and about 100 Tertiary Fossils, from Jamaica, by the Honourable Edward Chitty. 



George Robert Waterhouse. 



Botanical Department. 



The Keeper has re-arranged (in the order of the recently-published volume of De Can- 

 doUe's Prodromus) the families of Poli/gonea>, Myristicece, and Proteacece. He has examined 

 and arranged the various Collections purchased at the sale of the Herbaria of the Horticul- 

 tural Society. He has made a selection from an extensive Collection of Vegetable Stiuc- 

 tures offered by the Honourable East India Company. He has added to the General 

 Herbarium the late Mr. George Don's Collections from Tropical Western Africa, together 

 with a continuation of Mr. Thwaites' Plants of Ceylon, and Mr. Spruce's Collections in 

 Northern Brazil; and numerous Specimens from the Voyage of Her Majesty's Ship" Herald;'^ 

 and from Mr. Loftus's Collections in Assyria; and he has also inspected and rendered more 

 easily accessible the geographically arranged Collections in the large outer room. He has 

 got ready the rooms intended for exhibition, and named and prepared specimens to be 

 placed in them. 



105— Sess. 2. D Since 



