ACCOUNTS, ESTIMATES, kc. OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 33 



A medal struck to commemorate the foundation of the Consumption Hospital at 

 Brompton. By Mrs. Koger Cooper Gardiner. 



A medal of Peter Johnstone, Esq., of Harthope, struck for prizes in two schools 

 founded by him. By Captain Johnstone. 



An early punched coin of India. By Major General F. H. Sandys. 



A set of 14 French medalets. By Barclay V. Head, Esq. 



Three halfpennies of Edward III., found at Hull, and probably forgeries of the time. 

 By J. Locking, Esq., of Hull. 



A copper coin of Thylzebas or Wazebas, King of Abyssinia. By the Secretary of 

 State for India. 



Three coins of Abyssinia — one of King Armah, another of King Asahel, and the third 

 unattributed. By the Viscount Adare. 



An ancient copy of a gold coin of Julia Domna. By Major General James 

 Abbott, c.B. 



Eight potin coins of Alexandria. By Ezra Sharin, Esq. 



A silver marriage-medal. By J. Gough Nichols, Esq. 



Nine copper medieval and modern coins. By W. Freudenthal, Esq., m. d. 



A large miscellaneous collection of oriental, mediaeval, and modern coins. By the 

 Honourable R. Marsham. 



The number of visitors to the Medal Room during the past year has been 1 ,548. 



The number of visitors to the Ornament Room, in which the gems, and the gold and 

 silver ornaments from the Blacas Collection, are exhibited, during the past year has been 

 8,925. 



mn. S. W, Vaux. 



Departments op Natural History. 



Progress in the arrangement of the exhibited portions of the Natural History Collec- 

 tions has consisted chiefly in the substitution of better, rarer, and more instructive 

 specimens for inferior ones returned to the series in store. 



The stuffed specimens of the class Mammalia have been kept in a state of preservation 

 without other deterioration than is inevitable in regard to those exhibited specimens for 

 which there is not accommodation in the glazed cabinets. 



The unstuffed skins of the Mammalia are in a state of preservation fit for the 

 purposes of scientific examination and comparison, and moat of them are in a state fit 

 for future preparation and exhibition. 



The portion of the Collections of Bird-skins and Skeletons, mounted and exhibited in 

 systematic order, is in a good state of preservation. Most of the cabinets in the public 

 gallery devoted to the class of Birds are more crowded than is consistent vnih facility 

 of comparison and study, or with easy access for detailed examination of the specimens. 



The remainder of the Collection of Bird-skins unmounted, in storage, preserved in 

 boxes and cupboards in the basement vaults, is in a state of preservation available for the 

 purposes of study and comparison of characters, but in a certain proportion not readily 

 accessible for such uses, the locality becoming crowded. 



The portion of the collection of Reptiles and Fishes, preserved and displayed, is in a 

 good state of preservation. The greater portion of this collection, including the bulk of 

 the specimens of Lizards, of Serpents, and of Fishes, is stored in the basement vaults in a 

 space so crowded as to oppose difficulties to their access for scientific study and com- 

 parison. Such stored specimens are preserved in alcohol, and the great variation of tem- 

 perature, and occasional heat of the locality, cause rapid evaporation and deterioration 

 of the preserving liquor, accelerating decay. Registered specimens, when so far dissolved 

 or decomposed as to lose character, are removed, the fact and cause being noted in the 

 " Register;" but in every case in which the bony texture is firm enough for dry preserva- 

 tion, it is transferred to the Osteological Collection. The most noteworthy addition to 

 Ichthyological series is the dried head of a huge species of Batrachus, the largest known 

 Acanthopterygian fish. The jaws and teeth of this species, previously an unknown unique 

 rarity, have been determined by the reception of the above specimen, sent from the 

 Seychelles Islands, through the kind intervention of Governor Ward. 



The portion of the series of the Shells of the Molluscous animals arranged and exhibited 

 in the public gallery is in a good state of preservation, well placed, displayed, and labelled 

 for instimction and reference. This series gives an epitome of Conchology, and models of 

 the soft parts of the species, or fabricators of the shells, are added to exemplify the cha- 

 racters of tlie leading groups of the Mollusca. The Shell-series has been made more 

 instructive and attractive by continued incorporation of specimens of the Cuminsian 

 Collection, acquired in 1866, either as additions or as substitutions for inferior and faded 

 specimens. 



The small portion of the class Insecta publicly displayed, is in a good state of preserva- 

 tion, and is instructively arranged and labelled. The very large portion of the class in the 

 Basement Entomological Store-room is in a good state of preservation, and so arranged 

 in drawers as to be accessible for study and comparison. 



211. F 2 The 



