ACCOUNTS, &€., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 55 



The most important acquisitions were the following :— 



1. Of the collections made during the voyage of H/vT.S. " Challenger," and presented 

 by the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, the following were received in 1887: — 



(a.) Two hundred and sixty-one specimens of Deep-sea Fishes. 



{b. ) Three thousand three hundred and sixty-five specimens of Mollusca, and 475 

 simple and compound Tunicata. 



(c.) Forty-seven Cumacea (Crustacea). 



(J.) Nine hundred and fifty-six specimens of Polyzoa. 



(e.) Two hundred and eighty .Monaxonids, and 167 Hexactinellida. 



2. A collection of various animals made at Christmas Island by the officers of H.M.S. 

 " Flying Fish," and presented by the Lords of the Admiralty. 



This small oceanic island, which is 190 miles from the nearest point of Java, and 

 separated from it by a depth of 2,450 fathoms, lies so i'ar out of the usual track of navi- 

 gation, and is so unattractive to those interested in commercial pursuits that no naturalist 

 seems to have had an opportunity of visiting it. As the flora and fauna of oceanic islands 

 possess a special interest, particularly before they are disturbed by the invasion of man. 

 Captain Wharton, F.R.S., Hydrographer of the Admiralty, suggested that advantage 

 should be taken of the recent visit to Christmas Island of H.M.S. " Flying Fish," under 

 the command of Captain Maclear, to make observations on, and collect specimens of, 

 natural history. Although the time ;it the disposal of the visitors was very short, the 

 officers of the ship collected 95 specimens of various animals, of which 12 species proved 

 to be undescribed. 



3. The " Tweeddale " Collection of Birds and ornithological works ; presented by 

 Captain Gr. R. Ward law Ramsay. 



This collection consists of about 35,000 specimens of bird-skins, and was formed princi- 

 pally by the uncle of the donor, the late Marquis of Tweeddale, who had paid pai'ticuiar 

 attention to certain local faunas, such as the birds of the Philippine islands, Andaman 

 Islands, Malayan Peninsula, &c., sparing no expense and labour in rendering thet^e por- 

 tions of his collection complete. As che British Museum was particularly deficient in 

 those faunas in which the " Tweeddale " collection excels, this acquisition is a very im- 

 portant event in the progress of the ornithological series in the British Museum. It is 

 calculated that after the disposal of the duplicates about 27,000 specimens will be left 

 for incorporation in the Museum series. 



But beside this valuable collection. Captain Wardlaw Ramsay has deposited in the 

 British -Museum the ornithological works collected by his uncle and himself, with the ex- 

 pi-essed desire that this library should be placed in contiguity with the study-series of 

 Birds, so as to facilitate the work of students. This library consists of about 2,300 

 volumes, and comprises a number of the most costly ornithological publications, such as 

 those by Gould, Audubon, Temminck, &c. 



4. The collection of mounted Larv£e of British and Indian Lepidoptera, prepared and 

 presented by the Right Hon. Lord Walsingham, fr.s. 



This unrivalled collection consists principally of the larvae of British Lepidoptera, 

 which were mounted by the donor himself in life-like attitudes upon twigs or leaves usually 

 representing the food-plants of the species; the larvag are accompanied by very complete 

 series of specimens of the perfect insect. The collection is the work of many years, and 

 could be formed only by an entomologist thoroughly acquainted with the life-history of 

 the insects and enjoying exceptional opportunities for collecting. It is as valuable (or 

 purposes of classification, as it is useful to the agriculturist and horticulturist, who are 

 enabled to identify with its aid those Lepiciopterous insects which in the larval stage are 

 injurious to crops. With this collection are some of the silk-producing moths with their larvjB 

 likewise mounted on models of the food-plants, and a series of Indian larvae collected 

 and preserved at Dharmsala in the Punjab by one of Lord Walsingham's correspondents, 

 the Rev. John H. Hocking: the whole consisting of 5,680 specimens. 



5. The collection of Macro-Lepidoptera made by Lord Walsingham during his travels 

 in California and Oregon in the years 1871 and 1872, and presented by him. This 

 collection consists of 1,737 specimens, many of the species being new to the collection of the 

 Museum. 



6. A series of 3,959 specimens of American birds, being the third instalment of the 

 valuable collection referred to in the Report for 1885 ; presented by F. D. Godman, 

 Esq., F.R.s., and O. Salvin, Esq., f.r.s. 



7. A further instalment of the Sclater Collection of American birds, comprising 485 

 specimens of 272 species of Humming birds ; purchased. 



8. Six hundred and eighty-two Cuckoos from various localities, including the types of 

 the " Swinhoe " Collection ; presented by Henry Seebohm, Esq. 



2Qq. G 4 9. A collection 



