16 ACCOUNTS, ESTIMATES, &C, OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Among the additions to the Collection of Insects, those from the cabinet of Kiiby, 

 and the Madeira Insects collected by T. V, Wollaston, Esq., possess peculiar interest. 

 The total number of additions to the Annulose series (Insects, Crustacea, Vermes), is 

 28,699. 



All the specimens in the Department of Geology are in good condition; many have been 

 improved by the skilful removal of matrix from the org-anic fossil ; the majority are 

 displayed and well arranged for study. The characteristic fossils of the Cretaceous and 

 Tertiary formations of Switzerland and contiguous part of Germany, obtained by the 

 purchase of the celebrated Collection of Dr. Briickmaim, constitute an important and very 

 instructive accession to the Paloeontological Series during the past year. The cast, pre- 

 sented by the Trustees of the Museum of Natural History at Sydney, of the skull of the 

 large extinct Marsupial animal, the original of which has been recently transmitted from 

 Darling Downs to Sydney, New South Wales, has materially added to the illustration of 

 the genus Nototherium, previously represented by a fossil specimen of the lowei jaw and 

 (eeth, in the British Museum. 



The unique specimen of the skull of the large Pterodactyle, from the Lias of Lyme Regis, 

 the species of which was originally indicated by the specimens of limb-bones previously in 

 the Museum, shows a peculiarity of dentition characteristic of a distinct genus (Z^imor- 

 phodon) in the extinct order of flying reptiles. The additional illustration of the dentition 

 of the Dinotherium, is a specimen of much physiological as well as paloeontological interest. 

 The Fossil skull of the Chelone gigas from the Eocene clay of Sheppey, has confirmed the 

 indication of that huge kind of extinct Turtle, first yielded by a fragment of a bone ot the 

 fin (figured in Tab. xxix., fig. 5, " Monogr. of Fossil Reptilia of the London Clay," 4to., 

 1850). Of the additions, by purchase and donation, to the Geological Department, 3,300 

 have been added m the past year to the series arranged and displayed in the public 

 Gallery. 



The series of Mineralogy has been maintained in its usual good state of preservation, and 

 has received many improvements in the arrangement and display of the specimens. It has 

 been enriched by the addition of 700 specimens, of which the rarest and most interesting 

 are specified in the Report of the Keeper of that Department. 



The total number of additions to the Natural History Departments during the year 

 1858, is 47,891. 



Richard Owen, 

 Superintendent of the Natural History Departments. 



Department of Zoology. 



The Collection of preserved skins of Vertebrated Animals, and of the hard parts of 

 Invertebrated Animals, which are exhibited in the Rooms open to the Public, have been 

 cleaned. Many families, and orders, of these have been re-arranged, to admit of the 

 insertion of recent accessions in their proper places, and to keep the CoUeciions up to the 

 modern improvements in Zoology. 



The very extensive Collections of Skins of Mammalia, Birds, Fish, and Reptiles, which are 

 kept xmstuffed for more easy examination and study by the professional zoologist, together 

 with the very extensive Collection of Skeletons, and the Collections of Specimens of Verte- 

 JDrated, Molluscous, Annulose, and Radiated Animals, preserved in spirits, and contained 

 in more than 30,000 bottles, kept in rooms in the ba-ement, and which are only available 

 to the more scientific student, have been cleaned, verified, and many of them re-arranged. 



The General Collections of Insects and Crustacea, which are also kept in a private room, 

 accessible to students and the more advanced entomologist, have had very large accessions 

 made to them, which are being arranged in their appropriate places in systematic order. 

 Several parts of these Collections, which had become over-crowded by repeated additions, 

 have been arranged to make them conformable to the works recently published, and others 

 have been entirely re-arranged. 



The system of having two Collections, one entirely open to the public, and the other at 

 all tinies accessible without interruption, and in the best state of preservation, for the use of 

 the scientific student, has been followed in the Museum for years with the best eHect, and 

 offers, as far as the present space and locality will allow, all the facilities proposed to be 

 adopted in the Memorial of a small number of zoologists and botanists, presented to the 

 Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1858, without shutting up from view any part which is 

 interesting to the public. 



Several cases containing remarkable Birds, exhibited as examples of the best style of 

 animal -i)reseiving, have been added to the Collection. 



Durmg the year 1858 there have been added to the several parts of the Zoological 

 Collections 42,691 specimens of different classes of animals, viz.: 



Verfebrata ---__-__e igo 

 MoUusca and Radiata - - - . .. - 7,812 

 Annulosa _ 28'699 



Total - - _ _ 42,691 



A considerable portion of these specimens are the types of the species described in 

 various scientific works and periodicals. A very large number of specimens in the Museum 



have 



