ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



History Library will allow, and of preventing the acquisition of duplicates for the General 

 Natural History Library. Out of the first instalment granted last year for this purpose 

 182 zoological works, consisting of 377 volumes, were purchased, the majority of which 

 are of recent date, and none of an earlier d.ate than 1820. 



* 



VII. — Acquisitions. 



During the last year 49,602 specimens have been added to the several parts of the 

 collection : — 



Vertebrata - - - - -17,901 

 Mollusca _ _ _ - - 957 



Annulosa ----- 29,446 

 Radiata (and Vermes) - - _ 1,298 



Total - - - 49,602, as compared with 



24,283 in the year 1880. 



45,881 „ 1879. 



20,960 „ 1878. 



24,184 „ 1877. 



24,685 „ 1876. 



25,340 „ 1875. 



30,699 „ 1874. 



10,644 „ 1873 



7,524 „ 1872. 



The marked excess of the number of last year's additions above the average of the nine 

 preceding years is due chiefly to the acquisition of the Gould Collection of Birds and of 

 three large collections of Coleoptera and Hymenopteva. 



The most important acquisitions were the following : — 



1. The collection of birds formed by the late John Gould. It consists of 12,395 

 specimens, and contains most of the objects described and figured in his various great 

 woi'ks on birds. Of special importance in this acquisition is the series of Humming-birds, 

 which consists of 5,378 specimens ; partly preserved as skins, partly mounted and grouped in 

 the cases in which they were shown to the public during the year of the first International 

 Exhibition in 1851. They were the favourites of their former owner, and bi'ought together 

 by forty years' careful collecting, regardless of expense. Of the other families, the 

 Trogons and Toucans of South America, and the Pittas of Asia and Australasia, are 

 represented by perhaps unrivalled series. The price paid for the entire collection 

 was 3,000 I 



2. A selection from the ornithological collection of the late T. C. Eyton, Esq., including 

 71 types of species described by him, and 108 skeletons, of which the majority were figured 

 by him in his work " Osteologia Aviumr 



3. Messrs. F. DuCane Godman, f.r.s., and O. Salvin, f.r.s., have again made a most 

 valuable donation by transferring to the British Museum their beautiful collection of 

 Australian birds, 1,391 in number, and very fully representing the avifauna of the 

 Australian Continent. 



4. Dr. Coppinger, surgeon of H.M. surveying ship "Alert," has continued to collect 

 during the progress of tiie survey in the Pacific, and on the coasts of Australia. He 



■despatched last year a third and most valuable consignment, comprising animals of all 

 classes, but chiefly marine invertebrates, to the Lords of the Achnii'alty, by whom it was 

 presented to the Trustees of the British Museum. The contents will be subsequently 

 enumerated under the several classes of animals. 



5. The Smithsonian Institution has presented a most valuable set of 341 marine fishes 

 from the Pacific Coast of North America, where, at present, some members of the United 

 States Commission on Fish and Fisheries are engaged in exploring the Fauna. 



6. A complete set of the animals collected by Professor J. B. Balfour in Socotra, and 

 containing types of the many new species discovered in that island ; presented by the 

 Socotra Committee of the British Association. 



7. From the " Challenger " collections have been received : — 



(a.) A supplementary series of 87 specimens of the Ostracoda, completing the set 

 deposited in the British Museum. 



(5.) A complete set of 197 specimens of the Pycnogonida. 



(c.) The set of types of Echinoidea, 250 in number ; this series does not yet contain all 

 the species described by the Keporter. 



8. A portion of the celebrated collection of Phytophagous Beetles formed by J. S. 

 Baly, Esq., ji.b. ; this is the second instalment acquired by purchase, and contains 4,202 

 specimens, with numerous types of the species described by Mr. Baly and others. 



0.90. E 3 9. A portion 



