INTRODUCTION 



Mr. J. I. S. Whitaker and the Hon. N. C. Rothschild; a 

 collection from Spain and southern France made by G. S. 

 Miller and purchased by the Museum ; several collections 

 from Transylvania made by C. G. Danford ; collections from 

 Hungary made and presented by the Hon. N. C. Rothschild 

 and Mrs. Rothschild ; smaller collections and single specimens 

 have been received from many other persons,* whose names will 

 be found in the detailed lists of material in this Catalogue. 



Although unquestionably forming the largest of all collections 

 of European mammals the material in the British Museum is 

 not sufficient to be made the basis of a monographic study of 

 the fauna. Free use has, therefore, been made, throughout the 

 preparation of this Catalogue, of specimens in other collections. 

 Chief among these are the United States National Museum in 

 Washington and the private collection of Charles Mottaz in 

 Geneva. The material at Washington, about 4000 specimens, 

 is mostly from the following sources : (a) Sweden, Germany, 

 Switzerland and Belgium, collected by J. Alden Loring ; (6) 

 Sicily, Italy and the region of Barcelonnette, Basses-Alpes, 

 France, by Dane Coolidge ; (c) south-western France, by 

 Robert T. Young ; (d) north-eastern Germany, the Riesengebirge 

 and Harz Mountains, by F. L. J. Boettcher. There are also 

 miscellaneous smaller collections from Switzerland (G. S. Miller, 

 L. Stejneger, E. H. Zollikofer), Belgium (de Selys-Longchamps), 

 Holland (G. S. Miller), Denmark (L. Stejneger), Norway (T. 

 Stejneger) and Sweden (Sundevall, Tullberg, Lonnberg). Finally, 

 the Merriam collection, now the property of the U.S. National 

 Museum but not yet catalogued, contains numerous European 

 specimens, for the most part received from de Selys-Longchamps. 

 The Mottaz collection, about 3000 specimens, is especially rich 

 in series of the smaller mammals of Switzerland and the adjoin- 

 ing portions of France ; it also contains useful material from 

 Italy and western France (Charente). Other supplemental 

 material to which I have been given free access, or which has 

 been sent for examination in London or Washington, is contained 

 in the museums of Madrid (types of Cabrera), Nimes (types of 

 Crespon), Paris (types of Geoffroy and other historic speci- 

 mens), Genoa (Italian Bats, Microtines and Ungulates), Turin 

 (Italian mammals, especially Ungulates), Naples (type of Myotis 

 oxygnathus Monticelli), Geneva (types of Fatio, authentic Swiss 



* This is particularly true of the many friends of the Museum who 

 have aided in procuring the large series of British mammals. 



