702 Zoology. 



year the collection has been increased by the addition of 458,000" 

 specimens, that is an average annual increase of about 6700 

 examples. Of course the number of Mollusca obtained year by 

 year has varied very considerably, the years 1854, 1856, 1857, 

 1866, 1874, 1875 and 1898, being particularly noticeable on 

 account of the unusually large additions, the number of specimens 

 acquired being for those years respectively 13,483, 14,287, 21,914, 

 84,174, 13,977, 18,034, 31,877. Reference to the following 

 pages will show the reason of these abnormally large numbers. 



With respect to the number of species in the collection it 

 may be worth mentioning that Dr. Gray estimated it in 1836 

 at 4025. At the present time the collection probably contains 

 rather more than ten times that number.* 



It is practically impossible to know the exact extent of the 

 collection of Mollusca, and whence it was obtained, before the 

 year 1837, when a system of registration of acquisitions was 

 introduced. 



The collection preserved in spirit comprises 11,200 specimens, 

 this number being included in the total given above. Many of 

 the specimens are very old, and not of much use for anatomical 

 purposes, but those received of recent years are in a well- 

 preserved condition. Some parts of the collection have been 

 more or less studied, notably the Cephalopoda, by J. E. Gray ; 

 the Nudibranchs, by P. S. Abraham ; and the Slugs, by Dr. 

 Heynemann and T. D. A. Cockerell. The collections obtained 

 by the "Challenger" "Alert" and "Nassau" Expeditions com- 

 prised a very large number of specimens, and were a great 

 addition to the Museum series. 



It may here be of interest to refer to the Curators who from 

 time to time have been in special charge of the collection : Dr. 

 W. E. Leach, 1813-3 1826; Mr. J. G. Children, 1826-1840: 

 Dr. J. E. Gray, 1824-1875 • Dr. W. Baird, 1841-1871 j E. A. 

 Smith, 1867 until the present time. 



The collection of shells before Leach's time must have been 

 so small that it is of little importance by whom they may have 

 been arranged or named. It is probable that Dr. D. C. Solander, 

 who was appointed an Assistant in the Museum in 1765, may at 

 some time have had charge of the collection, as it is known from 

 his MSS. in the Banksian Library that he had a knowledge of 



* This number, which includes specimens in spirit, was ascertained 

 from the registers and annual reports, and consequently is no mere 

 estimate. 



