COUNCIL FOR 1890. 
9 
We are indebted to Mr. J. F. Walker for numerous 
specimens both of rocks and minerals. Dr. Tempest Anderson 
presented a collection of rocks from Iceland, and Mrs. 
Ball a collection chiefly derived from the Tyrol. The 
above constitute the principal acquisitions in this department 
during the past year. 
ConchOLOGICAL Department.— This Department has re¬ 
ceived large additions during the past twelve months, and the 
Curator has endeavoured particularly to strengthen those parts 
of the collection which were conspicuously weak. Most of the 
important genera are now more or less fully represented, but 
there is still ample room for the judicious expenditure of a few 
pounds every year. Much attention has been given to the 
determination of unnamed specimens, and, in scores of cases, 
unlocalized examples have been replaced by localized. 
The collection has been rendered much more useful to the 
student by the introduction of a number of figures of the 
animals, carefully executed by Mrs. Platnauer. 
Library. —The Curators of the Library report that the 
books in the Library have been re-arranged, spaces being left 
for the continuation of works in progress. By the kindness 
of Mr. Reed, important additions have been made to the 
Reference Library, including several volumes of the 
“ Challenger” Report. The only purchase of any magnitude 
which has been made during the year, is that of the Italian 
“ Annales de Gfeologie et de Paleontologie.” Beyond this, 
but little has been spent on the Library in binding j it 
would be well, however, if possible, to expend more another 
year in binding and so preserving loose numbers. The work 
of preparing a new catalogue has been going on, but the Rev* 
John Hey regrets that the distance of his residence from the 
Museum causes the progress to be slower than he could 
wish. 
Comparative Anatomy. —The most important addition 
made to this department during the past year is the skeleton of 
a cow. The carcase was obtained by the Museum Attendant, 
