l6 ACCOUNTS, ESTIMATES, &C. OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



In the Byzantine series, several cop)Der coins of great rarity have been acquired. 



In the Oriental series a valuable addition has been ii.ade to the Museum Cabinet, by 

 the purciiase of a selection from the very large Collection of Major Hay, late H.E. l.C.S. • 

 among these the following specimens are deserving of especial notice: — 



A fine Tetrad i-fichni of Diodoius I., King of Bactriana, which is extreme/y rare; a 

 Tetradrachm of Euthytlemus, King of Bactriana ; an almost unique copper coin of Nicias 

 two copper coins of Zoilus ; an almost unique copper coin of Hippostratus; two j^quare 

 copper coins of Mauas; a long and remarkable series of the coins of Azes ; 15 o-old coin 

 of Kanerkes; 12 gold coins of Indo-Scythic princes; a remarkable seiies, about 50 in 

 number, of silver coins, struck in Khawarezin, by the descendants of Timur the Tatar • 20 

 coins of Mahmud of Ghazna and of his descendants; and some finely preserved o-old and 

 silver coins of the Moghul rulers of Hindustan. 



Samuel Birch. 



Departments of Natural, History. 



Zoology. — The proportion of the stuffed specimens of the class Mammalia, exiiibited in 

 the glazed cases of the Southern Zoological Gallery and Mammalian Saloon, is in ^ood con- 

 dition. The stufJed specimens, which from their bulk, or from want of space in 'the cases 

 stand on the floor, have suffered in a certain degree from exposure to the corrosive smoke- 

 dust of the metropolis, the effects of which cannot be wholly prevented. 



The proportion of the Collection of Mammalia consisting of skins preserved in boxes the 

 Osteological specimens, including the horns and antlers, and the specimens kept in spirit 

 are all in a good state of preservation. The unstuffed, Osteological and bottled speci^mens 

 are unexliibited and restricted ni use, as at present located, to'scientific investigation and 

 comparison; but it is with difficulty that the special visitor for such purposes can now avail 

 himself of these materials, owing to their crowded nccumulation in the Basement-Rooms in 

 which they are stored. 



The exhibited Collection of Birds is in a good state of preservation, is conveniently 

 arranged for public inspection, and is usefully and instructively named and labelled. The 

 interest manifested by visitors, and the satisfaction generally expressed in regard to this 

 gallery, indicate the amount of public instruction and uratificaiion which would'ie-ult from 

 a corresponding serial arrangement and exposition of the other classes of the iinimal 

 kingdom. 



The stuffed and exhibited selections from the classes of Eeptilia and Fishes, are in a very 

 good state of preservation; they suffer less from the requisite processes of cleanino- than 

 the classes covered by hair, fur, or feathers. ^ 



Of these cold-blooded Vertebrates the proportion preserved in spirits is much greater than 

 in Mammals and Birds, and, consequently, through the present allotment of space, the 

 majority of the singular specific forms of Reptiles and Fishes are excluded from public 

 view. Upwards ol 2,000 specimens in spirits of these classes have been added in the past 

 year to the previously crowded shelves of the basement store-rooms, where access to any - 

 mdividual specimen is a matter of some difficulty, if not hazard. Of tlie above additions. 

 1,456 have accrued from the donation of the Secretary of State for Ind a in Council 

 The mterest and novelty of the specimens have constrained their acceptance, and the 

 same reason has led to the acquisition of many additions from other sources. 



Amongst them deserve to be specified two specimens of that singular snake, the Berpeton 

 tetitaculalum, known for a century past only by a single discolouied example in the Paris 

 Museum; those now in the stores of the British Museum were acquired from Siam, and 

 have served to enrich Zoology with a complete knowledge of the species, through the descrip- 

 tions and figures by Dr. Giinther. 



The following may be also specified, namely, the burrowing Snake from South Africa 

 Vriechis rmcrolepidotus; a new genus of tree-snake, IJerpeloreas; a new aenus, Barycephalus, 

 of Saurian, Jrom an altitude in the Himalayas of 15,000 feet above the level of the sea - 

 als.) two new species of freshwater 'Tortoise, the Ewys Livingstonii, dedicated to its dis- 

 coverer inAh-ica, and the Emys Siamensis. Among the additions to the class of Fishes has 

 been acquired a new genus, Hypsiptera, of the Scorn beroid family; with several new species, 

 mcluGing one, tentrolophts Britannicus, belonging to this country. 



The specimens of the Molluscous classes showing the entire animal, preserved in spirits 

 and stored m the basement room, are in good condition. The entire class of Tunicata is so 

 preserved ; also the families or genera devoid of, or with rudimental, shells, in the other 

 Molluscous classes. A small proportion of such '■ naked " Mollusca, and the soft parts of a 

 lew ot the testaceous kinds, are represented by coloured wax models in the exhibited series 

 ot shells arranged m the Bird Gallery. 



The whole of the exhibited collection is in an excellent state of preservation. The system 

 or scale on which the genera, species, and local varieties of shells are exhibited, with their 

 nannes and localities, gives to the ordinary visitor a power of comparing his own specimens 

 and m most instances, of determining them, without the necessity of special application to 

 the keeper or assistant m the department. The extent to which students and others avail 

 then.se ves of this facility of comparison, and the value attached to it, show that the above 

 principle and scale of exhibition of specimens are proper to be adopted in a National 

 Museum for public use. 



The 



