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



S. Mediceval and Modern Series : — 



1. Presented by A. W. Franks, Esq., f.k.s., &c. 



An interesting series of coins of the early Counts of Holland, &c. 



2. Purchased. 



An interesting series of early Scandinavian coins, chiefly Danish. 



A medal of Hugo de Ijoubenx Verdala, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta. 



£ Oriental Ser'ies : — 



1. Presented by Raghunath Rao Vithal Vinchoorkar, C.S.I. 

 A large gold Ramtinki medal. 



2. Purchased. 



22 gold coins of the Amawees of Spain. Of these very rare coins the Museum 

 previously contained only six specimens. 



A gold coin of the Samanee dynasty, Nasr II. 



A gold coin of Mohammad II., struck at Constantinople, belonging to the first gold 

 coinage of the Ottoman Empire. 



A dirhem of the Benee-Dulaf, a dynasty new to Oriental Numismatics. 



A very rare coin of Mohammad Ibn Saad, Prince of Murcia, bearing the name of the 

 Caliph of the East. 



Catalogues : — 



The Catalogue of Greek Coins, Vol. IV. (The Seleucid Dynasty of Syria), has been 

 published, and Vol. V. (The Coinage of Macedon) is in the press. 



The Catalogue of Oriental Coins, Arabic Section, Vol. IV., has been completed, and 

 is about to appear, and Vol. V. is in the press. 



The number of visitors to the Medal Room in 1878 was 1,539. 

 The number of visitors to the Gold Ornament Room was 23,143. 



Reginald Stuart Poole. 



Departments of Natural History. 



During the past year the state of preservation and general good condition of the speci- 

 mens of Natural History have been maintained. The works of conservation have been 

 carried out with more especial reference to fitness of the specimens for impending removal 

 to the New Museum at South Kensington. 



The additions registered in 1878 are in number 27,885 ; of which 20,960 have 

 been received in the Department of Zoology, 6,379 in that of Geology, and 546 in that 

 of Mineralogy. 



The exhibited specimens of the stuffed and mounted skins of the Mammalia have 

 received due application of processes in arrest and prevention of decay. Of the few 

 additions which present space has permitted to be made to this series, that of the Grisly 

 Bear {Ursus J'erox), of the Siberian Snow Leopard (^Felis irbis), of the Fur-Seal 

 (Ajxtoccphalus ursimis), may be specially noted. 



The unstuffed skins of the 31ummalia are in a good state of preservation, and have re- 

 ceived, where needed, the appliances fitting them for future mounting, in regard to the 

 specimens to be selected for the purpose of exhibition in the new Museum now near its 

 completion. The smaller mammalian specimens preserved in spirits are in good 

 condition. All are, as heretofore, available for the purposes of scientific examination and 

 comparison. Additional facility has been afforded to the students of the volant Mam- 

 mals by the publication of Mr. G. E. Dobson's "Catalogue of the specimens of the order 

 Cheiroptera." 



The collection of bird-skins mounted and exhibited is in a good state of preservation ; as 

 are also the unstuffed skins preserved in drawers and boxes. These are equally available, 

 with the collection open to the general public, for the purposes of scientific study and 

 comparison. The printed lists and catalogues of this class are steadily progressing. 



The proportion of the collections of the Reptiles and Fishes displayed in the public 

 galleries is in a good state of preservation and arrangement. 



A lai-ge example of the Greenland Shark (^Lamargus borealis) has been mounted, and 

 forms one of the notable additions. 



The stored specimens of Reptiles and Fishes, both dry and in spirits, are in good condi- 

 tion, and available for scientific work. 



The nomenclature and synonyms of the vertebrate specimens, both exhibited and 

 stored, have been verified. 



Of 



