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EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 
WE have received the Report of the South African Museum for 1897. 
The principal event was the opening of the new museum building on April 
6th, the old building having been closed to the public on January 19th. 
The number of additions to the collection is very satisfactory, as the 
following details prove :— 
SPECIMENS Species NEw TO THE 
MusEuM. 
Pens Exotic.| Total. eee Exotic. | Total. 
Mammals ..... esterase 64 8 7 6 4 10 
Birds G25 see: 89 0 89 7 0 Le) 
Reptilesand Amphibia | 335 2 307 8 1 9 
WishiGs,.< oaccuse ee ccanan' 4 0 4 0 0 0 
PUMIGMER, Sovetsacenesines 0) 8) 9 ) 7 7 
Molise sc. hctacenne O70 7) 375 1a 0 15 
Tnisecine bisineense ee: 2289 20 2309 122 0 122 
Chilopoda  —..ccusccseu 180 0 180 15 0 15 
Diplopoday (3 tec-) <a.ce 245 0 245 29 0 29 
Protracheata ......... 2 0 Q 0 0 0 
Arachnide~ dive scvcdes 1124 0 1124 i 0 11 
Crastaces.. \ ..sc2sssase 1456 () 1456 5) 0 51 
Were, |. vecenege cet eae 178 0 178 13 0 13 
otal => #eec 6336 44 6380 OTT 12 289 
The Director, Mr. W. L. Sclater, reports :— The general state of the 
collections is satisfactory. The new cases are completely dust-proof, and, 
as far as can be seen at present, seem to be quite insect proof; any incipient 
attacks of museum pests can be easily dealt with by the introduction of a 
saucer of carbon bisulphide into the case, the fumes of which at once 
destroy any living matter.” 
In Mr. L. Péringuey’s report on the Department of Entomology we 
read:—‘‘ The most interesting discoveries of the year have been the 
existence of a representative of the curious family Embiide of the order 
Neuroptera (gen. ? Oligotoma) not before recorded in South Africa; and 
the curious parallelism of some coleopterous forms inhabiting the Cape and 
the Canary Islands, as exemplified by captures made by Mons. A. Raffray 
