Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/108

82 It will be seen that the system is simple, and allows a very rapid arrangement of any collection, no matter how important. Thus it has been possible for me to arrange in less than six years about 125,000 species and 700,000 specimens, with further 700,000 duplicates, the whole arranged in 6000 glass cases. These are not all determined, but at least arranged and set in order; for I still await some specialist to occupy himself with some of the genera. It must be pointed out, however, that though I say the arrangement has been carried out in six years, the classification to a great extent was commenced fifteen years before I came to the Museum.

I have suppressed all conventional colour in my collections, the geographical indications employed from the beginning in our Museum being quite sufficient. It remains for me to speak now of our additions during the last few years.

Our collection of Coleoptera has been always very rich. I do not enumerate those obtained in our neighbourhood or the result of small purchases.
 * Coll. Putzeys.
 * Colls. Chevrolat, Severin.
 * Coll. Germain. (European.—These are the insects which have been used by Fauvel in his 'Faune Gallo rhénane'). Coll. Fairmaire (Exotiques).
 * Coll. J. Thomson.—Coll. Lafontaine.
 * Coll. J. Thomson.—Coll. Lafontaine.
 * Coll. Weyers.
 * Coll. Guerin Méneville.
 * Coll. J. Thomson.
 * Coll. Dejean, Lacordaire, Racine, Castelnau, Gobert.
 * et Coll. ditto, ditto.
 * Coll. Chapuis.
 * Coll. Lacordaire.
 * Coll. Chapuis, Castelnau, Semper, Duvivier.
 * Les coll. Wesmael.
 * Coll. Van Volxem.
 * . Coll. (Palæarctic) Wienmann, Breyer, Defré, Thysebaert.

The principal additions during the last four years have been the insects from the Congo. We have bought the Duvivier Collection, so that our African collection will be the richest, if it is not so already.

Jan. 23rd, 1897.