^t 



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



and specially interesting as showing the animals mentioned in Scripture, and as adding to 

 our knowledge of the geographical distribution of many species not before known. 



A larye series of skulls oi the different races of Negroes that are brought to the coast 

 near the mouth of the Gaboon, and skins and skeletons of the Gorilla, Chimpanzee, and 

 the Afiican Sea Cow, or Manatee, have been received from M. Du Chaillu. 



The nest of the nest-building Chimpanzee, and remains of other Mammalia, transmitted 

 from the Gaboon by M. Du Chaillu, have been presented by John Murray, Esq. 



Dr. Kirk has presented a series of Mammalia from the Zambesi River, including a 

 Ga]aj:o, and some Bats and an Antelope, that are new to science and to the collection. 



The Rev. O. P. Cambridge, of Blandford, has presented some species of Bats. 



Birds: — 520 specimens of Birds have been added to the collection. 



The most remarkable and inferesting (on account of the belief that the bird has 

 lately become extinct) is a mummy specimen of the Great Auk {Alca impennis), which 

 was found pressed flat with the flesh converted into adipocire, on an island to the north- 

 ward of Newl'oundland, several feet below the surface, in a deposit of '' frozen gnano." 

 With the exception of the extremities of the toes, this example is perfect in every respect, 

 even to the pen-feathers on the wing; the beak is as perfect as the day the bird died. It 

 was sent to Mr. Matthew Jones, and presented to the Museiim by the Bisiiop of New- 

 foundland, who also procured the specimen that was previously sent to Mr. Alfred Newton, 

 the skeleton of which has been described by Professor Owen in the Transactions of the 

 Zoological Society. 



A specirae n of tlie rare genus of Pigeons named Didunculus, which is supposed to be the 

 nearest ally lo the Dodo, h-om the Navigator's Islands, sent to the Zoological Society by 

 Dr. George Bennett, f.l.s. This bird is apparently becoming extinct. 



Some specimens of birds from Eastern Africa, niclnding two new species described by 

 Dr. Sclater, presenied by J. Dickenson, Esq. 



A specimen o[' Porzana, from Newport, presented by the Rev. A. Morgan. 



Reptiles: — The additions to the c!;iss of Reptiles aie 847 in immber; all the specimens 

 are preserved in spirits. The following collections may be specially noticed. 



A large collection from Bandjermassing (Borneo), presented by L. L. Dillwyn, Esq., 

 M.P., containing many sprciis which wei'e formerly desiderata. 



Three collections from Angola, made and presented by Dr. F. Welwitsch, J. J. Monteiro, 

 Esq., and M. Baibcza de Bocage, containing several forms of Ophidians and Batrachians, 

 new to science. These collections, although small, were the more valuable as that province 

 of Western Africa is herpetologically almost unknown. 



A very fine collection of the Reptiles of Palestine, formed by the Rev. H. B. Tristram, 

 contained such an unexpected variety of forms (one of which proved to be a new senus of 

 snakes) that the British Museum now possesses the most complete materials lor the study 

 of this pan of the Fauna of the Holy Land. 



Tlie typical specimens of the species of burrowing Snakes, described bv Captain Bed- 

 dome, from Ootacamund, Madras Presidency. 



Several collections of most valuable specimens of rare Australian Reptiles, presented by 

 Gerard Krefft, Esq., Curator of the Austrahan Museum at Sydney. 



A collection ol Keptiles and Fish from Egypt, presenied by the Rev. O. P. Cambridge, 



Fishes : — The additions to the class of Fishes are 1,706 in number ; uiost of the specimens 

 are preserved in spirits, only a small proportion being dried skins; they have been received 

 from sources so numerous that only the most important can be mentioned here. 



A very extensive collection formed by a collector on the Essequibo River, whence since 

 the time of Schomburgk's travels (whose Zoological collections were for the greater part 

 lost) no specimen had been received. Many of the species were desiderata in the National 

 Collection, and others were quite ntw. 



A collection of the Fishes of the Bosphorus, made by Dr. Millingen of Constantinople. 

 No specimens from that sea were previously in the British Museum, 



A complete set of the Fishes of the Holy Land, formed by the Rev. H. B. Tristram, has 

 been secured. Several of the species are new to science, whilst others assist in the deter- 

 mination of forms described during, and not le-discovered since, the Linnsean period. 



Very valuable additions to the collection of British Fishes have been made by presents 

 from his Grace the Duke of Roxburgh, the Ear) of Eimiskiilen, Sir Philip de Malpas Grey 

 Egerton, Bart, m. p., the Rev. Chancellor Auuustus Morgan, William Feel, Esq., and others. 



It has teen found necessaiy to complete the collection of Biitish Salmonoids by series of 

 examples, preserved in spirits, from various localities, as skins alone are perfiectly 

 inadequate to furnish characters for an original description, or to assist in the study of this 

 important gioup of fishes, the knowledge of which is at present very imperfect. 



A Male Salmon from the Tay, 46 lbs, weight, one of the finest specimens ever brought to 

 the London market. 



Two collections of Bavarian Fishes, formed by Dr. Gemminger and Dr. von Siebold, illus- 

 trative of the species described by the latter gentleman. 



A collection of Fishes from Lapland, formed by Mr. Wheelwright. 



A second collection of typical specimens of the Pharyngognathous species described by 

 Dr. P. Bleeker. This collection renders our series of that part of the class of fish the 

 most complete of all in tne Natural History Museums. 



A collection 



