ACCOUNTS, &:C., OF THE ERITISU MUSEUM. 3I 



" New species of liymenoptera iu the British Museum." By the late F. Smith, 8vo. 

 (pp.240).. 



" Illustrations of typical specimens of Lepidoptera Heterocera in the collection of the 

 British Museum." Part III. By A. G. P)utler, 4to. (pp. 82, with 20 coloured plates). 



The fifth and sixth volumes of the " Catalogue of Birds" are in course of preparation, 

 and the fourth pjirt of the " Illustrations of Lepidoptera Heterocera " is iu the press. 



III. — Conservation. 



Of the acquisitions of Vertebrate Animals, only examples of large size, and a few of 

 such as will contribute to the instruction of the general public, have been mounted ; 

 some have been placed in the public rooms, but others, for want of space, have been 

 stowed away, for exhibition In tlie galleries of the new building. Among the former 

 may be mentioned a very large and pei'fect male specimen of the Orang-utang ; the 

 skeleton of the Nose-monkey of Borneo [NasuUs latvata) ; the skin and skeleton of a rare 

 Insectivore {Gymnura raffiesii), from Borneo; Badger and young, from Hampshire; the 

 male of a Two-horned Khinoceros, from the Malayan Peninsula [Bhinoceros niger), in 

 skin and skeleton ; a young lihmoceios sundaicus ; five specimens of Wild Sheep (Ouz's 

 cycloceros, O. gmelini, O. vwntana, and O. nivicola) ; a Reindeer from Norway ; a male 

 Elk from Labrador ; a specimen of the Caucasian Ibex ; a specimen of Beccari's Casso- 

 wary ; a gigantic Sea Perch from Maui-Itlus {Serranus giffas) ; a large Murajna {M. 

 tessellata). Further, five groups illustrative of the nesting habits of the Pheasant, Land 

 Eail, Herring Grull, Reed Wren, and Linnet. 



All the other Vertebrate Animals acquired during the year, and preserved as skins or 

 skeletons, or in spirits, have been incorporated with the study series and placed in the 

 store rooms. 



The specimens of Bats have been cleaned, and many of the badly stuffed specimens 

 have been prepared as skins. 



Two hundred and thirty stuffed Birds have been withdrawn from exhibition, unstuffed 

 and placed in the study series. A commencement has been made of arranging the skins 

 of the Passerine birds iu the cabinets which will be used in the Bird-room of the New 

 Museum. The skins of each species of bird (as far as practicable) are placed into well- 

 made glass-top boxes arranged within and closely fitting into the drawers of the cabinets. 

 By this method, which has been adopted for some years j^ast, with the best effect, in the 

 collection of shells, the skins will be kept perfectly safe from dust and other external 

 injury. 



The work of renewing the spirits In the bottles containing Fishes, Reptiles, Crustaceans, 

 Arachnids, Insects, Echlnoderms, and Vermes, and of securing the safety of typical 

 specimens, as described in a former Report, has been continued. 



The accessions to the collection of Shells, and the dried specimens of Echinoidea have 

 been mounted in glass-top boxes and labelled. 



All the unmounted Insects acquired during the year have been mounted and labelled; 

 and many of such as had been imperfectly prepared, have been re-set. 



IV. — Registration. 



All the specimens obtained during the past year (with the exception of those of the 

 Hewitson bequest) have been marked with the date of their acquisition, and a separate 

 number corresponding with an enti-y in the manuscript register of accessions ; in this, 

 for future reference, the name of the collector, the exact locality In which the specimens 

 were collected, the mode of their acquisition, and any other valuable information regarding 

 them, are entered. 



V. — Acquisitions. 



During the last year 45,881 specimens have been added to the several parts of the 

 collection : — 



Vertebrata - - - - 



- 6,047 







MoUusca . - - - 



- 3,134 







Annulosa - - - _ 



- 10,698 







Hewitson Bequest - - - 



- 24,625 







Radiata (and Vermes) - 



- 1,377 



as com 





Total - - 



- 45.881, 



ipared witl 





20,960 i 



in the ^ 



j^ear 1878. 





24,184 





1877. 





24,685 





1876. 





25,340 





1875. 





30,699 





1874. 





10,644 





1873 





7,524 





1872. 





10,577 





1871. 





8,014 





1870. 



207 — Sess. 2. E 3 The 



