ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 33 



the British Museum of Natural History, Cromwell Road. Those relating to the redistri- 

 bution of the unmounted skins of Birds, now in the store-drawers and boxes, have shown the 

 good condition of these valuable and very numerous specimens, and their fitness for package 

 and removal to adequate localities for exhibition and study. Nevertheless, opportunities of 

 adding new and instructive specimens to the Zoological Series have not been pretermitted ; 

 and as much space,as Avas compatible Avith ingress and egress of visitors, has been acquired, 

 by altered arrangements and dispositions of cases, so as to exhibit many of the rarest and 

 most attractive acquisitions in the Galleries still open to the public at Bloomsbury. 



Of such additions to the Zoology the greatest number and the most important in 

 instructiveness and attractive in beauty, through experience in selection, and by previous 

 determinations and descrij)tions of the specimens, are those of the Birds acquired by the 

 purchase of the Gould-Collections after the decease of the accomplished Founder. 



They include the types of most of those described in the published works of John 

 Gould, F.R.S. The well-known collection of stuffed and mounted Humming-Birds is 

 exhibited in the Avian-conchological Gallery of the British Museum, and is a soui"ce of 

 instruction and gratification to all classes of the visitors. 



A valuable element in the scientific study of the Avian class is the Collection of tlie 

 Skeletons of Birds, prepared by the late 'Ihos. C. Eyton, Esq., r.ii.S., including the 

 subjects of his classical work entitled " Oxteologia Avium.'''' 



Impediments to the progress of the Catalogues of certain portions of the Zoology, 

 through present inadequacy of the staff", and a loss, by death, of one very competent 

 assistant, are detailed in the Report from the Department. 



With other labours therein has been continued that of selecting and setting apart 

 " Duplicate Specimens," available for exchange and suitable for distribution to other 

 National and Provincial Museums. 



The entire Collections of the Department of Geology are now received in the Museum 

 of Natural History, Cromwell Road; the location and arrangement of the major part 

 of these Collections have been carried out, and are detailed in the " Report " of the 

 Keeper. 



The advantages of the increase of the Exhibition-space ai'e signally manifested by what 

 is now presented to the gaze of visitors, in orderly and natural groupings, of the forma 

 and characters of extinct species of ancient worlds, as contrasted with the unavoidably 

 limited and disjointed show compelled by the single Gallery, allotted to Geology and Mine- 

 ralogy conjointly, in the former locality. Notably is the value of room for display exemplified 

 in its application to minor Collections, in both thi^ Geological and Minei-alogical Galleries, 

 bearing the names of the Collectors, and including the specimens described and figured 

 by them, and exemplifying the grounds on which the related branches of science have 

 thereby made growth. Such are : the "William Smith-Collection," including the original 

 fossils Avith which the "Father of British Geology" connected their determination as being 

 characteristic of particular British strata ; the " Gilbertson-Collection of Carboniferous 

 Fossils," including the originals or types described and figured in the late Professor 

 Phillips's " Geology of Yorksiiire " ; the " Edwards-Collection of Fossils of British 

 Eocene Strata," including the " Type-specimens " described and figured by the Collector 

 in " Monographs " issued by the Palseontogi-aphical Society (Cephalopoda and Gastro- 

 poda) ; together with the Fossil Bivalves, in the same Collection, described and figured 

 by Mr. Searles Wood, r.G.S., in " Monographs," issued by the same Society. 



Such Collections, which had been acquired in past years, but which had remained, 

 through lack of space, unexhibited and imperfectly available, can now be reported as of 

 public utility. 



The same gratifying statement is applicable to the Department of Mineralogy. The 

 name of Sir William Hamilton is held in grateful esteem by literary and scientific 

 -workers for the advantage he untiringly took, during his diplomatic residence at Naples, 

 not only of rare antiquities, but of the Cosmic Phenomena characteristic of that country, 

 especially the volcanic. Contiguous to Vesuvius is the volcano which had become 

 extinct before the historical period. The ancient or pre-historic igneous rocks from 

 Monte Somma promised objects of peculiar interest. Of these Sir William, by both 

 personal exertions and purse, acquired a large and instructive collection, which he 

 presented to the British Museum. The limited exhibition-space allotted to the 

 " Mineralogy " in the Geological Gallery of the British Museum, compelled the 

 keeping of this Collection "in store"; it is noAv arranged and exhibited in a Avall-case 

 of the terminal Pavilion of the Gallery of Mineralogy at Cromwell Road. 



Further details of the application of this ample and well- lit space are given in the 

 Report from the Department. 



The Botanical Collections have been received in the Museum, Cromwell-road ; and 

 are now in process of arrangement for exhibition. 



Richard Owen. 



o.go. E 



