ACCOUNTS, ESTIMATES, kc. OP BRITISH MUSEUM. 1^ 



Natural History Departments. 



All the collections of Natural History are in a good state of preservation. 



To the extent to which present space admits the several Classes are arranged as wholes ; 

 so as to enable the student and observant visitor to appreciate the extent of the Class, and 

 to trace the kind and order of the variations which have been superinduced upon its 

 common or fundamental characters. 



The Class of Birds, the Collection of Shells, the Insects, the Reptiles, both recent and 

 fossil, the Fishes, both recent and fossil, and the Minerals, are thus allocated, not only 

 accordinn' to Orders, Families, and Genera, but with a view to impart instruction as to the 

 extent, the range of variety, and the progression of affinities of the subordinate groups of 

 those Classes respectively. 



With regard to the other Classes subdivided according to the separate apartments allotted 

 to them, a natural division of the Class is appropriated as far as possible to each. 



The instruction of Visitors has been duly regarded in the position and arrangement of the 

 Specimens, and by attaching, in conspicuous positions, plain definitions of the natural 

 groups of each Class, and of the several Species and Varieties exemplified. 



The annual ratio of the additions to the several departments of the Natural History is an 

 increasing one. 33,769 specimens have been added to the Zoological Series, and 6,700 

 specimens to the collections of Geology and Mineralogy, in the course of the year 1856. 

 The details of these additions are given in the Annual Reports of the Keepers of those 

 departments. 



Amongst the additions to the Class Mammalia the recently discovered species of Bornean 

 Orang-utan {Pithecus Morio), which differs in the more open facial angle, and some other 

 characters, from the previously known species (Pithecus Saiyrus), is one of peculiai" interest 

 to both the Naturalist and Ethnologist. The small South American quadruped called 

 C/damyphorus truncatus, figured in Dr. Buckland's *' Bridgewater Treatise, as exemplifying 

 some of the peculiarities of the Megatherium is a rare and valuable acquisition. The bird 

 from the middle island of New Zealand, called Notornis Mantelli, first indicated by fossil 

 remains found associated with those of the great Dinornis, is now exemplified, in the Gallery 

 of Ornithology, by the well preserved specimen of the only example of the living bird 

 captured in that island, the skin of which has been sent to England. The entire skeleton 

 of the Dinornis Elephantoyus — the last discovered and rarest species of the Moas, or great 

 wingless birds, of New Zealand, now exhibited in the Gallery of Fossils, well exemplifies 

 the general characters of these apparently extinct birds, and the singularly massive propor- 

 tions of the present unique example of the genus. 



Richard Owen, 

 Superintendent of the Departments of Natural History. 



Zoological Department. 



The Collections of Vertebrated Animals and Shells which are exhibited in the Rooms 

 open to the Public have been cleaned and re-arranged according to modem improvements 

 in Zoology. 



The very extensive Collection of Skeletons of Vertebrated Animals and the Specimens 

 of the Vertebrated, Molluscous, Annulose and Radiated Animals in spirits, have been also 

 cleaned, re-arranged, and re-labelled, where the labels had been destroyed by dust or damp. 

 The Stuffed Skins in store have been examined and verified. 



The General Collection of Insects and Crustacea have had large accessions of Specimens 

 made to them, which have been arranged in their appropriate systematic places, and several 

 parts of these Collections have been entirely re-arranged and described. 



The whole of these Collections are arranged in a more strictly systematic manner, and 

 more uniformly named, in accordance with the modern state of science, than any of the 

 Public Collections in Europe, as is universally allowed by all the foreign naturalists who 

 come to visit them. 



During the year 1856 there have been added to the several parts of the Zoological 

 Collection 33,769 specimens of the different classes of animals, viz.: 



Vertebrated Animals ------- 2,735 



Mollusca and Radiata ---___ 14,542 



Annulose Animals --..--__ 16,492 



Total - - - _ 33,769 



Of these, a very considerable proportion of the specimens are types of the species described 

 in various scientific works and periodicals, independently of a very large number of speci- 

 mens that have been described during this year in the publications of the Museum itself, and 

 which are thus rendered of typical importance. 



These 33,769 specimens, which have been acquired during the year, have been all regularly 

 marked and described in the Manuscript Register of Accessions, with an account from whom, 

 whence, and how they were derived, which adds greatly to their value, and they have 



105— Sess. 2. C all 



