ACCOUNTS, Sec, OP THE URITISH MUSEUM. 



Natural Bistory, the well-filled or crowded exhibition galleries and cases have to under<»o 

 more or less of re- arrangement, with removal and interchange of specimens, in order 1o 

 allow place and access to the novelties. 



Inadequacy of space is thus associated unavoidably with loss of time, in the application 

 of labour and care to such re-adjustments of series, which time and labour when 

 sufficiency of exhibition space shall have been acquired, would be devoted to the more 

 direct applications of the national collections to the advancement of science. 



Moreover, in regard to delicate and brittle specimens, for which adequacy of space 

 would preclude such unnecessary disturbance, present conditions endanger their perfect 

 preservation. It has been found necessary, for example, to change the position of the 

 specimens, and re-place almost the entire collection of fossil fishes, in-order to admit of the 

 exhibition of certain classical, rare, and instructive additions from the Camperian and 

 Van Breda Collections, acquired by purchase during the past year. 



In reference to the estimates of space for present and future probable additions to the 

 Natural History Departments, given in " reports" by the superintendent in 1859 (February 

 10th), and 1862 (6th March), he subjoins, in verification of the grounds thereof, the 

 annual increase of specimens to the Natural History Departments, which increase has 

 taken place under similar reasons for keeping it down to those which have been above 

 alluded to as in operation during the past year. 



Annual Increase of Specimens in the Departments of Natural History during the 



Twelve Years of 1859-1870. 





Zoology. 



Geology. 



Mineralogy. 



Botany. 



1'OTAL 







1859 _ - - . 



42,691 



3,550 



3,186 



4,870 



44,913 



1860 . - . - 



25,222 



10,000 



10,028 



4,673 



49,923 



1861 ... - 



16,121 



5,522 



1,525 



8,364 



31,532 



1862 . . - . 



13,129 



3,144 



1,200 



12,347 



29,820 



1863 - . - - 



98,754 



3,053 



667 



9,980 



112,454 



1864 . - - - 



7,688 



4,651 



634 



10,959 



23,932 



1865 _ - - - 



16,700 



10,079 



3,623 



14,737 



45,139 



1866 _ _ - - 



92,818 



4,061 



672 



6,648 



104,199 



1867 _ . - . 



81,228 



9,156 



813 



10,690 



102,157 



1868 - - - - 



24,144 



10,372 



1,036 



15,021 



50,573 



1869 ... - 



8,979 



7,226 



885 



14,950 



32,040 



1870 _ . . . 



8,014 



7,620 



676 



10,170 



26,480 



Total Increase inl 

 Twelve Years -J 



435,488 



78,434 



24,945 



123,409 



653,162 



The collections in the Zoological, Geological, and Mineralogical Departments of 

 Natural History have been kept in a good state of preservation, with the exception of a 

 proportion of the series preserved in spirits. 



Specimens placed in methylated spirit, the use of which, from its economy, began in 

 1862, have shown effects which could not have been foreseen prior to the experiment. 

 From that date to 1865, specimens of vertebrated animals, fishes, and reptiles, e.ff., have 

 become lax, or have lost consistency, and on those which have been longest immersed a 

 deposit of the wood resins employed in " methylating " alcohol has accrued ujjou the sur- 

 face of the specimens. 



But these, under present circumstances of storage in the basement vaults, are subject 

 to variations of temperature, sometimes reaching 70° F. rarely falling below 60° F., from 

 which elevation and alternations of temperature they will be free in the store galleries 

 designed for this class of objects in the ISIew Museum of Natural Plistory. 



The stuffed and mounted specimens of the class Mammalia are in a state of preserva- 

 tion ; those Avhich, from their large size, or the want of space in the glazed cabinets, stand 

 on the floor, or are suspended to the Avails of the Mammalian Gallery, have received con- 

 tinued care in the prevention or diminution of the effects of such exposure. The dried 

 and unstuffed species of the Mammalia kept in store are in a state of preservation appli- 

 cable to the purposes of scientific examination and comparison, and many of them are in a 

 state fit for future preparation and exhibition. 



In the class of Birds (yUcs), a larger proportion of the skins are stuffed and mounted 

 than in the preceding class, and are exhibited in systematic groups and sequence. These 

 are in a good state of preservation, being protected in well-glazed cabinets, where, how- 

 ever, from the limitation of space, they are now more crowded than is consistent with 

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



The skeletons of birds which are mounted and placed in the cabinets an; in good condi- 

 tion; but this aid to the student of ornithology is limited by the exigencies of space. 



The collection of unstufted and unmounted bird skins preserved in the basement vaults 

 is in a state of preservation available for the purpose of study and comparison, but in a 

 certain proportion not so readily accessible as could be wished, the locality available for 

 safe storage, and assigned to the class Aves, having become crowded. 



I64. C 4 The 



