4U ACCOUNTS, ike, OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



IV. — Conservation, 



The following specimens have been mounted for exhibition : — A fine Lioness from the 

 Cape; four Antelopes {Aegioceros niger and leucophaus) ; a Hippopotamus {H. amphibius); 

 a Zebra from Central Africa, and others. Of the skeletons set up the most important 

 are those of a Leopard (i^eZ?s pardus); a Brown Bear ( C//-5M5 arcfos) ; a Bearded Seal 

 (Phoca barbata) ; a Plorse (Equus caballus) ; five Rhinoceroses of various species, a 

 Camel {Camelus dromedarius) ; six Antelopes; a Reindeer {Rangifer tarandus); an 

 American Bison (^:^os arnericanus) ; a Gour and Gayal (5?7i05 gaurus -And frontalis) ; a 

 Buffalo ( Bubdlus cuffei'), &c. 



On the other hand, during the removal of the collections, the exhibited series of all 

 Orders have passed under revision, and a considerable number of specimens unfit for 

 exhibition have been unmounted, and, when of any scientific value, have been put with 

 the study series ; other specimens, where required, having been mounted in their stead. 



The specimens of the various si^ecies of Seals, which in the old building had been kept 

 for many years without any protection from dust, have all been thoroughly cleaned 

 previous to their arrangement in the Mammalian Gallery. 



Two additions only have been made to the mounted groups of British Birds, viz., one 

 illustrating the nesting of the M\s,ie{ T\iv\xs\\ {Tardus viscivorns), -Aud. the other that of 

 the Red-backed Shrike {Lanius collyrio). 



During the re-arrangement of ihe Reptiles and Fishes in the new Spirit-building, 

 great attention has been paid to the state of preservation of the specimens ; when required 

 the spirit has been renewed, or the specimens have been transferred to larger jars. 



All unset Insects received during the year have been mounted in order to incorporate 

 them with the general collection, and numerous badly mounted insects already in the 

 collection have been re-set. 



The cleansing and bleaching of the collection of Polyzoa, Corals, Hydrozoa, and 

 Sponges, and the mounting- and labelling of the specimens selected for exhibition have 

 occupied most of the time of the two Assistants in charge of these branches and of their 

 attendants. The result of their labours is an exhibition which, for variety of form, beauty 

 of specimens, and instructiveness, is probably not rivalled in any other Museum. 



V. — Registration. 



All the specimens obtained during the past year (with the exception of the Lepi- 

 doptera of the Zeller Collection) have been marked with the date of their acquisition, 

 and a separate number corresponding with an entry in the manuscript register of accessions ; 

 in this, ior 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 informa- 

 tion regarding them, were entered. 



VI. — Departmental Library. 



One thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven works have been added to the Depart- 

 mental Library, of these 1,710 (in 2,291 volumes) have been acquired by purchase, 55 

 by transfer from other Departments, and 12 by presentation. Ot the 1,710 works above 

 referred to, 1,243 relate to the general subject, 299 to special subjects, and 113 are 

 periodicals or works in progress. 



All have been stamped and entered into the printed catalogue, which for the present is 

 alphabetically arranged. Eight hundred and twenty-five volumes have been bound. 



Since the completion of the removal of the books on the 18th of July 1883, they have 

 been classified and arranged in their places in the new library. 



At the end of the year the catalogue contained 5,362 titles, as against 2,638, included 

 in the second edition of the printed catalogue of 1882. 



VII. — Acquisitions, 



During the last year 3I,44G specimens have been added to the several branches of the 

 Department : — 



Vertebrata 3,094 



Mollusca - - - - - 3,627 



Annulosa ----- 23,535 



Vermes, Radiata and Protozoa - 1,190 



Total - - 



31,446, 



as cornpai 



ed with 



19,902 



m the year 1882. 



49,602 



3' 



1881. 



24,283 



3J 



1880. 



45,881 



JJ 



1879. 



20,960 



J5 



1878. 



24,184 



>> 



1877. 



24,685 



>> 



1876. 



25,340 



J3 



1875. 



30,699 



JJ 



1874. 



The 



