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



A rare silver rouble of the Emperor of Russia, Peter II. A very rare silver rouble of the 

 Emperor Peter III. Three large gold coins of the Empress Elizabeth. A 10-rouble piece 

 in platina of the Emperor Nicholas ; and 12 of the largest gold coins of different mde- 

 pendent States of South America. 



1,204 persons have visited the collections in the Medal Room during the past year. 



JV. S. W. Vaux. 



Departments of Natural History. 



Specimens added to the Natural History Departments during the year have been labelled 

 or numbered, and entered into ihe registers, with note of the date and source of reception, 

 locality, or stratum. The total number of these entries amounts to 102,474; that of the 

 tallying numbers or labels is the same. But the number of specimens received exceeds the 

 above, by reason of two or more of the same species and of similar character being regis- 

 tered and marked by a common number, and grouped on the same tray, in some instances, 

 especially of the invertebrate Fossils, in the Department of Geology. 



Of the 102,474 registered specimens of Natural History added m the year, space has been 

 found, or made by re-adjustment and exclusion for storage of less rare or interesting 

 examples, so as to allow of the exhibiiion of 5,368 specimens. 



The number of specific names and references to synonyms, written for the Registers and 

 Catalogues, amounts to 34,768. 



The number of specimens described, with synonyms, and references to a greater or less 

 number of characteristics or peculiarities, and printed in the Catalogues published during 

 the year, amounts to 12,784. 



Progress h;is been made in the following manual and skilled labour of the Departments, 

 viz. cleaning the stuffed specimens; preparing with antiseptics, and stuffing skins ; examining, 

 airing, and drying |)repared skins; cleaning and bleaching bones and antlers; articulating 

 skeletons; unstiffeninii:, developing, readjusting, and displaying parts of Insects and Crus- 

 taceans; suspending in bottles and displaying characteristic parts of specimens preserved 

 in spirits; changing alcohol and adding alcohol to specimens in spirits; changing, restoring, 

 and verifying labels ; removing matrix from Fossils, and developing or exposing con- 

 cealed parts of Fossils ; moulding and casting Fossils ; mounting Fossils on tablets ; cutting 

 and polishing Minerals, and slicing them for i he microscope ; adjusting them on stands 

 or supports, to facilitate the study of Crystalline characters. 



The stuffed and exhibited series of Mammalia are mostly in a state of preservation ; some 

 have suffered from the effects of over-crovvding. The want of space precludes intsructive 

 arrantiemf nt of the class Mammalia. Those which stand on the floor, or are attached to 

 the wall, show the detriment which is inevitable from such exposure. The unstuffed skins 

 of the Mammalia are in a state fit for scientific examination and comparison, and many of 

 them in a state fit for future preparation for exhibition. 



The stuffed and exhibited series of Birds are in a state of preservation, and of instructive 

 arrangement, but now are so crowded in some cases as to take from the facility of examining 

 individual specimens. 



The stored Bird-skins in boxes are in a good condition, but many of those kept in cup- 

 boards in the vaults show the deteriorating effects of the atmosphere of that locality. 



The great bulk of the class Insecta is preserved in drawers, in a good state of pi-eserva- 

 tion, and airangenient, affording facility of access for reference and comparison. 



The same may be said of the dried Crustacea and Arachnida. 



The collection of Osteologv is in a state of preservation, but its availability for scientific 

 use is extremely limited, througli the conditions and locality of its present storage in the 

 basement vaults. 



The specimens of the classes Mammalia, Reptilia, and Pisces, preserved in spirits, have 

 required a great expenditure of alcohol to maintain them in their present state of preserva- 

 tion, owing to the contiguity of the store vaults to the heating apparatus of the general 

 Museum. 



The classes and minor groups of the Invertebrate animals which require to be preserved 

 in spirits are also stored m the basement vaults, and are so crowded on the shelves that 

 access to specimens not on the front row is difficult, and attended with lisk to the bottles 

 and specimens. 



The exhibited series of Reptiles, Fishes, Invertebrate Animals, Nests, and Nidamental 

 structures. Horns, Antlers, and the Biitish Natural History, are severally in a good state of 

 preservation. 



The specimens of Fossil remains, both exhibited and in store, are in a good state of 

 Dreservation. 



The exhibited specimens now begin to be in so crowded a state of arrangement as to affect 

 in some cases the facility of access for scientific examination and comparison. 



The specimens which are stored in drawers and in cases, in parts of the Museum not 

 accessible to the public, admit, for the most part, of being well arranged for the purposes of 

 scientific study. 



The Collections of Mineralogy are in a good state of preservation. Many crystalline 

 246. C 2 specimens 



