ACCOUiNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 43 



4-5. Catalogue of the Fossil Mammalia in the British Museimi (Natural History). 

 Parts I. and II. By Richard Lydekker. With woodcuts. 



6. List of the Specimens of Cetacea in the Zoological Department. By William 

 Henry Flower, ll.d., f.k.s. 



These publications have been distributed to Free Public Libraries and various other 

 institutions in Great Britain and Ireland ; to Indian, Colonial, and Foreign libraries and 

 museums ; and to individuals who have rendered assistance in the preparation of the 

 catalogues, or who have presented specimens for the collections. 



The eleventh volume of the Catalogue of Bird-, by Mr. R. B. Sharpe ; the third of 

 Lizards, by Mr. G. A. Boulenger , the third of Fossil Mammalia, by Mr. R. Lydekker ; 

 a Catalogue of the Blastoidea, by Dr. P. H. Carpenter and Mr. Robert Etheridge, jun. ; 

 and the sixth volume of the Catalogue of Lepidoptera, by Mr. A. G. Butler, are in the 

 press. 



Duplicate specimens have been presented to the Science Schools, South Kensington 

 (Minerals); York Museum (Minerals); Town Museum, Brighton (Fossils); The Owens 

 College, Manchester (Fossils) ; Street Museum (Fossils) ; and Bethnal Green Museum 

 (Mineral). 



Exchanges of specimens have been effected with the following institutions and indivi- 

 duals : — Of Fossils, with the Museum of Science and Art, Edinburgh, the Museum of 

 the Geological Survey of India, the Museum of Practical Geology, Brighton Town 

 Museum, Bloemfontein Museum, Leyden University, and the Rev. David Smith; 

 of Minerals, with Mr. S. C. H. Bailey, Professor Lewis, Mr. C. Seidler, and Mr. 

 J. de Siemachko ; of specimens of Zoology, with the Museum of St. Thomas's Hospital, 

 Christiania Museum, and Colonel Charles Swinhoe ; and of Botanical specimens, With 

 the Leyden Herbarium, and Mr. Fitzgerald, of the Surveyor-General's OflHce, Sydney. 



The Swiney Lectures on Geology were delivered in June and July by Dr. R.' H. 

 Traquair, r.R.S., and were attended by an average of fifty persons. 



Dr. Traquair has been re-appointed lecturer for a period of two years. 



The following is the report of the progress of the General Library of Natural History : 



During the year 1885, 1,954 volumes were added to the Library, bringing the total 

 number up to 13,988. 



Of these additions 139 volumes were presented, 171 transferred from other Departments, 

 and 1,644 acquired by purchase. 



51 maps have been presented, chiefly by the Governments of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 New Zealand, South Australia, New South Wales, and Tasmania. 



The work of writing title-slips for the catalogue has progressed, and 2,849 volumes 

 have been catalogued. 



The total number of volumes catalogued up to the close of the year is 10,971. 



During the year 919 works have been bound in 755 volumes. 



IF. H. Flower, 

 British Museum (Natural History), Director. 



Cromwell-road, S.W., 1 January 1886. 



Department of Zoology. 



The past year is distinguished in the History of the Department by the acquisition of 

 large and celebrated collections. Two only of previous years approached it in this 

 respect, viz., the year 1863, memorable for Mr. John Bowring's donation of his magnificent 

 collection of Coleoj^tera, and the year 1866, in which the Trustees were enabled by a 

 special grant to acquire the Cumiugian collection of Shells. 



The study-series of Birds having been nearly doubled, a re-arrangement of the whole 

 became necessary ; and in order to gain more room_, the Half-Gallery which originally was 

 intended for a General Study, with the adjoining corridor, was joined to the Bird Room, 

 and is now being fitted up with cabinets. 



The exhibition Galleries of Cetaceans and Fishes, as well as the Saloon at the end of 

 the Osteological Gallery, have been opened to the public ; so that only the Insect Gallery 

 and the British Room remain to be completed ; both are sufficiently advanced to be 

 opened in April next. 



Protracted illness of several members of the staff interfered considerably with the 

 progress of the work in other branches of the Department. 



The time of the staff was too much occupied to give special attention to Duplicates ; and 

 consequently none were distributed among other institutions. 



I. — Arrangement. 



The additions to the collections of Vertebrate animals have been entered in the printed 

 Catalogues as soon as they have been examined and named. Specimens likely to be 

 instructive to the public have been mounted and placed in the Exhibition Galleries. 



The work of revising the labels in the Mammalian Gallery has been proceeded with, 

 more than 500 of the labels having been altered in accordance with the more recent 



0.102. G ■? nomenclature. 



