ACCOUNTS, &;C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



VIII. — BurrisH Museum (Natural HistoryI. 



STATEMENT of Progress made in the Arrangement an<l J)escription of the 

 Collections, and Account of Objects added to them, in tlie Yeai' 188!). 



The development of the general introductory collecticnis in the Entrance Hall of 

 the Museum has been continued during the year. Several interesting additions have 

 been made to the case of Albinos, and another case has been arranged to illustrate 

 the opposite condition called Melanism, due to an excess of colouring matter in the 

 external coverings of the body beyond what is normally met with in the species. 

 The specimens already exhibited are black or very dark examples of the leopard, 

 hare, rabbit, Prevost's squirrel, water-vole, bullfinch, lark, yellow-hammer, snipe, an(l 

 wild duck. This condition is much less frequent than albinism. 



Other cases are in preparation illustrating certain phases of variation according to 

 sex and season, and also adaptation of colour to surrounding c(jnditions. 



Of the alcoves round the hall, the one devoted to the anatomy of reptiles has 

 recived most attention, and now contains an instructive and fully labelled series 

 illustrating the osteology, dentition, and tegumentary systems of that class. 



Progress has also been made with the case showing the structure of insects, and 

 with the collection demonstrating the structure, form, and ncnnenclature of the 

 different parts of the shells of MoUusca. 



An important modification in the examination of candidates for the appointment o£ 

 assistants in the Museum, which was recommended by the Trustees, has received the 

 approval of the Civil Service Commissioners and the sanction of the Treasury. The 

 candidates have been relieved of examination in some subjects quite foreign to their 

 future occupation in life, while, in those that bear directly upon the work they will 

 have to do in the Museum, the examination has been made more thorough and prac- 

 tical, and such as to test, as far as may be done by this method, whether their 

 education has been adapted to fit them for the duties of the office they aspire to. 



The lectures on Geology on the Swiney Foundation, delivered last year, consisted 

 of Professor M'Nab's second course upon Fossil Plants, and embraced an account of 

 " The Ferns and Gymnosperms of the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Epochs and Dawn of 

 the Angiospermous Flora." The lectures were twelve in number, and were attended 

 by an average of -51 persons at each. Dr. M'Nab's sudden death in Dublin, on the 

 3rd of December, has unhappily prevented the completion of what promised to be an 

 interesting and comprehensive review of our present knowledge of fossil botany, and 

 has deprived the world of science of an earnest worker and able teachei-. 



During the year 97-5 presents, many of which embrace a large number of individual 

 specimens, were received by the Trustees. The more important oi these will be found 

 mentioned in the reports of the Keepers of Departments, but the following may be 

 alluded to here as of special interest : — 



From Deputy Surgeon-General Francis Day, c.i.E. (since deceased). — A large and 

 valuable collection of Indian and British Fishes and Crustaceans. 



From Mr. Robert Newbury.— The Buckler Collection .jf British Lepidoptera, 

 consisting of (J, 000 specimens in a 24-drawer cabinet. 



From Mr. O. Salvin and Mr. F. Du Cane Godman. — A fifth instalment of their 

 collection of Central American birds, consisting of 3,939 specimens. 



From Mr. Henry Seebohm. — 319 Birds, including three types of woodpeckers. 



From Mr. J. Bracebridge Wilson. — A collection of Polyzoa from Victoria, mounted 

 on 463 slides. 



From Mr. St. George Littledale. — Several interesting zoological specimens from the 

 Pamir. 



From Mr. H. C. V. Hunter. — A valuable collection of animals from the Kilimanjaro 

 district, East Africa. 



From Mrs. Ratclifi'.— 1,095 specimens of British and Foreign Lepidoptera. 



From Captain W. H. Turton, r.e.— 2,.5.58 marine .shells from St. Helena. 



From Jose Maria Vargas Vergara. — A collection of about 1,300 in.sects from 

 Bogota. 



From Mr. H. Piggot. — Alaige herbarium of British and Foreign Lichens, consisting 

 of 2,383 specimens. 



0.74. ^' •' From 



