38 ACCOUNTS, 8iC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



new species of Heterocerous Lepidoptera from Madagascar; " On some new genera and 

 species of Blattarice in the collection of the British Museum ; " " On new species of 

 Spiders from Madagascar ; " " Descriptions of new species of Myriopoda of the genera 

 Zephronia and Spirostreptus," by Mr. A. G. Butler; '• Note on the Echinoderm Fauna 

 of Ceylon ; " " Note on a Crinoid from the Straits of Magellan ; " " On the Holothuroidea 

 (Pso/ifJce),'" by Prof. F. J. Bell ; " On the arrangement of the Coralliidfe, with descrip- 

 tions of new or rare species ; " " Contributions to the knowledge of the Alcyonaria, with 

 descriptions^ of new species from the Indian Ocean," by Mr. S. O. Eidley. 



IV. — Conservation. 



The following specimens have been mounted for exhibition: — 



A very large Tiger from the Garo Hills, sent by Captain Sanderson ; a Tiger of the 

 small, long-haired Persian race, presented by Lieut.-Col. Beresford Lovett; a polar 

 Bear ; three Walruses, adult male and female, and young ; two Elks from Russia ; an 

 Antelope (Grimmia nictitans) from the Transvaal; a Roe-deer from Astrabad ; a specimen 

 of the Acanthoglussus brui/nii recentlj discovered in New Guinea: a Shark fi'om Ivurrachee 

 ( Carcliarias murrayi) ; a series of 23 marine fishes of the largest size obtainable from 

 Mauritius, chiefly Sea-perches and Parrot-fishes. Further, skeletons of four Chimpanzees, 

 a polar Bear, Cape hunting Dog {Lycaon venaticus), a Walrus, three Seals (^Arctoce]>halus 

 falklandicus), an African and two Indian Elephants, an Indian Rhinoceros, two Tapirs 

 ( Tapirus malaynnus and hairdi), a wild Boar, a Wart-Hog, two Chamois, a Chinese Stag 

 {Elaphurus davidianus), two Bulls {Bison, urns and Bos taurus), two Sea Cows {Manatus 

 americanns and senegalensis), a Llama, a Sloth, three Armadillos, two Pangolins, three 

 Combats, a Koata, and numerous small mammalia (Monkeys, Rodents, &c.). 



On the other hand, about 450 specimens of Carnivora and Rodentia, as also a like 

 number of birds, have been withdrawn from exhibition on account of their deteriorated 

 condition, unstufl^ed, and transferred to the study series. 



Further progress has been made in the formation of a series of groups of British Birds 

 illustrative of their nesting habits. The following have been added : — Long-eared Owl, 

 Jay (two groups, one with eggs and the other with young). Garden-warbler, White-throat 

 Hedge-sparrow, Golden-crested Wren, Wheatear, Stouechat, Hawfinch, Greenfinch, 

 Bullfinch, Redpoll, Cuckoo, Red Grouse, Common Snipe, and Curlew. 



A great part of the collection of skulls and skeletons of Mammalia, several thousand in 

 number, were transferred from the old store-boxes into new ones, or glass-top boxes fitted 

 to the cabinets and cases of the new Osteological Gallery. 



All the bottles of the spirit collections which were removed to South Kensington, viz.. 

 Mammalia, Birds, Mollusks, Insects, Worms, Alcyonarians, Hydrozoa, and Sponges, had 

 the spirits renewed, so as to secure the good conservation of the specimens during the 

 period they are stowed away and inaccessible for examination. 



Ihe work of renewing the spirits in the bottles containing Reptiles and Fishes has been 

 continued whenever time could be spared for it, and as far as the limited supply of clear 

 spirits admitted. The want of a distillery apparatus of much larger size than that of the 

 one in use at present for re-distilling deteriorated spirits, was much felt, especially as the 

 numerous accessions from the " Challenger " and " Alert " expeditions, which almost 

 entirely consist of spirit preparations, required immediate attention after their arrival. 



The dry skins of Reptiles and Fishes which had been transferred to store rooms about 

 two years ago, were packed for removal ; and, on examination, proved to have suffered 

 much from the damp caused by the evaporation of the spirit from bottles which were kept 

 in the same room. They were carefully cleaned and dried, but some of them had 

 suff'ered so much as to become useless. 



The exhibited collection of stuff'ed Reptiles and Fishes has been thoroughly cleaned in 

 anticipation of their early removal to South Kensington. 



The collections of Shells and Echinoderms have been thoroughly cleaned previously to 

 their transference into the New Galleries. Two assistants and three attendants were 

 continuously employed on this work for the space of three months. 



About 6,000 Insects of various orders have been remounted, to incorporate them in 

 the general collection. The methodical recamphoring of the insect cabinets is still in . 

 progress. 



Ihe spirits of the bottles containing Echinoderms, Polyzoa, Corals, Hydrozoa, and 

 Sponges, have been renewed where necessary. 



About one-half of the collection of Polyzoa, Stony Corals, and Sponges, has been cleaned 

 by maceration, washing or dusting, packed and removed to South Kensington, and stands 

 with labels have been prepared for those specimens which are destined for exhibition. 

 Also, the dry specimens of Alcyonarians, which are mounted on cardboard or kept in glass- 

 top boxes, have been cleaned, and the whole part of this collection is now in a safe and 

 suitable condition for study. 



The dry collection of Protozoa has been packed for removal, as also the " Challenger " 

 collection of Monactinellido: and the Deep-sea Sponges of the " Porcupine " expedition. 



Eighty 



