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



specimens now impart additional scientific infomiation by the inscription of the crystallo- 

 graphic indices on the planes. The collection of Meteorites, both iron and stony, has 

 received valuable increase ; its instructive relations have been augmented by polished sections 

 of many Aerolites, and by the extended exhibition of the series systematically arranged in 

 additional cases. This section of the series of Mineralogy can now be studied with the aid of 

 the Catalogue printed last year, and forms an important element in advancing a know- 

 ledge of the nature and source of these mysterious bodies. 



The whole of the Mineralogy shows improvement in arrangement and display. 



The additions in the year acquired by the Department of Zoology amount to not fewer 

 than 98,754 specimens. A great proportion of these are donations, including the Collections 

 made in the African expeditions of Speke and Grant to the Nile soui-ces, and of the Living- 

 stones and Dr. Kirk in iheZanibed district. Also in the North American Boundary Expe- 

 dition, by Mr. J. K. Lord, and in expeditions in the M;ickenzie River District, by Mr. 

 B. R. Ross. 



The Museums now established in the chief cities of the Dependencies and Colonies of 

 Great Britain become souices of ntimerous useful acquisitions, by the duplicates of specimens 

 transmitted by their curators for determination at the British Museuna. Hence, notwith- 

 standiuL; that specimens seJecied for purchase are of high value, inasmuch as the extent of 

 pievious acquisitions leads to ever-increasing reticence and care in selection, and to a limita- 

 tion of recommendation of purchase to indubitable rarities, the progress of the additions to 

 the Natural History is such as fully to verify the outlook on which the requirements 

 of space have been estimated ; as is exemplified in the sum total of additions above 

 recorded, in a single department, during the past year. 



On the return of Dr. Kirk and Mr. H. Livingstone to England, in October 1863, from 

 the Zambesi Expedition, in which they served as Naturalists, they brought with them part 

 of their collections. Earl Russell was pleased to direct that such of their specimens as 

 might be deemed desirable should be placed at the di>posal of the Trustees of the Museum, 

 and the selections which have been made include both rare and nondescript species. Among 

 the foimer may be noted the proboscidian Insectivore, with a dentition like that of a 

 ruminant, ealled Hhynchocyon Cimii. The species of this and of some allied genera, as 

 Petrodromiis, have been called from the singular prolongation of the snout "Elephant mice." 



The deer forest of Alnwick still retains an ancient light-coloured breed of Stags {Cervus 

 Elap/ius), the paler of which are noticed in Mediaeval romance and poetry as the " White 

 Hart." His Grace the Duke of Northumberland, k.g., directed the best stag of the breed 

 to be !-hot, and prepared, and most liberally presented the mounted specimen to the 

 British Museum, vvhere this variety had previously been a desideratum. 



Several rate Mammals and Birds, from other sources, are specially noted in the Report 

 from the Department of Zoology. Of the 3,973 additions belonging to the Vertebrate 

 sub-class, 1,827 specimens are of the Haematocrya, or cold-blooded division. 



The collections which Captains Speke and Grant were enabled to transmit from East 

 Centra! Africa to the British Museum include a new Tortoise {Kynixis Spekei) and a non- 

 descript ophidian {Ccnisus roslratus, Gnlh.) The representatives of two new genera of 

 Ophidians, Botliropthhalmiis and Xenurophis, Gnth., have been procured from West Africa. 



Dr. Krefft has transmitted (rom Australia two new genera of venomous serpents, 

 Tropidechis carina ta and Cacopliis Krefftii. 



In the collection of Reptiles and Fishes from the Pellew Islands, presented by 

 G. L. King, Esq., r N., is a new species of Boid(Z {Enygrus superciliosus, Guth.) A collec- 

 tion of Reptiles from North Ceram contains a new genus of JSnakes {Lidaphis) and a new 

 species of Cyclodus besides several very scarce forms, showing a connexion of the Indian 

 and Australian Faunas in that island. 



The number of additions to the class of Fishes, in the year, amounts to 1,156. 



The series of British Solmonidce has received valuable accessions from His Grace the 

 Duke of Noitliumberland, k.g.. Lord Powerscourt, the Rev. Augustus Morgan, and 

 T. C. Eyton, Esq. 



The collection of fresh-water Fishes of Hungary, made by an experienced Ichthyologist, 

 M. Teitteles, includes a fine example of the Russian Pike-peixh (^Lucioperca volgeiisis), a 

 fish heretofore only found in Russia, and a desideratum in the collection of the British 

 Museum. 



J. Y. Johnson, Esq., continuing his researches on the Natural History of Madeira, has 

 discovered additional new forms of deep sea fishes ; e. g. Halosaurus, Diredmus, the types 

 of which are now in the Briti>h Museum. 



Asia. — A small collection of fishes from the Lake of Galilee, the only one hitherto 

 received from the Holy Land, has been presented by the late H. W. Beddome, Esq., m.a. 

 This desideratum was noticed in the Annual Report for 1862. 



The second portion of the important collection of Dr. P. van Bleeker has been obtained ; 

 it contains the typical specimens of the Siluroids and of the Reptiles described by him, a 

 great number of them being unique specimens. 



Captain Mitchell, Conservator of the Government Central Museum of Madras, has sent 

 a large collection of the fishes of that Presidency, chiefly Siluroids and Cyprinoids. These 

 specimens being duplicates in the Madras Museum, and numbered, he receives the names 

 in return. Several beautiful specimens of Ophiocephalus, nearly three feet long, are in this 



collection, 



