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



New Zealand, the subject of the Pnper in the third volume of the "Transactions of the 

 Zoological Society of London" (p. 29, plate 3), which initiated, in 1839, the series of 

 memoirs subsequently published by the Society in illustration of the gigantic and other 

 extinct wingless birds of New Zealand. 



Richard Owen. 



Department of Zoology. 



I. Arrangement. 



The entire collection of the specimens of Ruminant, Pachydermatous and Edentate 

 Mammalia, skins, as well as osteological preparations, has been re-examined and re- 

 arranged according to the " Hand-list " recently printed by order of the Trustees. 



The specimens of the Diurnal Birds of Prey have been thoroughly examined, arranged, 

 and described. This part of the Collection consists now of 341 species, represented by 

 2,340 specimens, of which 723 specimens, belonging to 281 species, are exhibited to the 

 public. 



Considerable progress has been made in collecting the preliminary materials towards a 

 thorough arrangement of the Collection of Lizards, the number of species of which has 

 been nearly trebled within the last 25 years. 



The arrangement of the specimens of Crustaceans preserved in a dry state, as well as 

 that of the Sponges, is in a very advanced state. 



The determination and arrangement of the Longicoi'n Beetles belongfing; to the sub- 

 family Chjtina. has been completed; it is represented in the Museum by l,52o specimens 

 belonging to 362 species, of which 134 are types. 



The arrangement of the specimens of Homoptera and Diptera has been proceeded with. 

 The accumulation of additional specimens belonging to the latter extensive order has 

 been particularly great ; the families Pulicida, Mr/cetophilidce, Cecidomyzida, TipulidcBs 

 Xylophagi, Tabanidce, BombyUaru, and Asilici, occupying now 102 drawers. 



II. Conservation. 



The sei'ies of mounted and vmmounted skins of Ruminant, Pachydermatous and 

 Edentate Mammalia, and the horns of the first- named order, have been cleaned, and the 

 deteriorated examples separated fi'om the rest. Numerous indiiFerently-mouuted speci- 

 mens of birds of prey hitherto exhibited in the public gallery have been removed there- 

 from and converted into skins serviceable for the scientific student. The spirits in the 

 bottles containing the most valuable specimens of Snakes, and the camphor in most of the 

 Insect Cabinets and store-boxes have been renewed. The specimens of the exhibited 

 series of Lepidoptera, the colours of which had much faded in consequence of having 

 been exposed to light for 20 years, have been replaced by fresh examples. 



Remai'kable specimens, interesting and instructive to the public, have been mounted 

 and exhibited in the galleries immediately after their acquisition ; among them may be 

 mentioned two groups of Lemuriue Monkeys, a Malayan Tapir, a skin and skeleton of a 

 two-horned Malaccan Rhinoceros, a young two-horned Rhinoceros from Abyssinia, the 

 perfect skeleton of an Antarctic Whale, a Sturgeon nearly 9 feet long ; a series of 

 specimens and preparations illustrative of the development and produce of the Silkworms 

 of Japan, &c. 



III. Acquisitions. 



During the last year 10,644 specimens have been added to the several parts of the 

 collection, namely:— 



Vertebrata - -- 5,862 



MoUusca - - 1,690 



Annulosa - - _ _ _ - 2,946 



Radiata (and Vermes) ------ 146 



Total - - - 10,644 



All these specimens have been marked with the date of their acquisition, and a 

 ■separate number corresponding to an entry in the manuscript registers of accessions, in 

 which, for future reference, the name of the collector, the country where the specimens 

 have been collected, the mode of their acquisition, and ajiy other interesting information 

 regarding them are entered. 



With the exception of a very small number, they have been incorporated with the 

 general collection ; and many of them have been described and figured by the officers 

 of the Museum, or other Zoologists, in the catalogues published by order of the Trustees 

 and mentioned hereafter, or in the best known scientific periodicals. 



Mammalia. 



