Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/513

Rh Mammalia.—A valuable series of Deer and Antelopes from the collection of the late Sir Victor Brooke.

Aves.—First in the list may be mentioned the Seebohm Collection, bequeathed by that well-known ornithologist, comprising, in skins, some 16,950 specimens, and including 235 skeletons. By purchase the collections were also enriched by the fine series of birds, chiefly Woodpeckers, brought together by the late Mr. Edward Hargitt; the Steere Collection of Birds from the Philippine Islands; and a fine collection of Fossil Bird remains from Patagonia, collected by Señor Ameghino.

Insecta.—Messrs. Godman and Salvin, who are among the most munificent donors, have presented 6192 Malacoderm Coleoptera from Central America; 4766 Butterflies (Pierinæ), all Old World species; 1375 Butterflies (Satyrinæ), and 610 Sphingidæ, and Castniidæ, from Central America. Mr. Godman has also presented the collection of British Hymenoptera made by Mr. Peter Cameron, comprising 2600 specimens, besides numerous microscopic preparations, larvæ, drawings, &c. There have also been purchased the Power Collection of British Coleoptera and Hemiptera, and the collection of Oriental Hymenoptera formed by Col. C.T. Bingham.

Specimens representing the life of the past, as well as that of the present, have been largely added. Lady Prestwich has presented the entire collection of Fossils brought together by her husband, the late Sir Joseph Prestwich; Mrs. Crawford Williamson has given ninety-three microscopic slides illustrative of works on the Recent Foraminifera by her husband the late Prof. W. Crawford Williamson; and Mr. G. Shrubsole has been the donor of 460 specimens of Palæozoic Polyzoa which belonged to his father, the late George William Shrubsole; while from Mrs. Pengelly have been received about 400 fossils selected from the collection of her husband, the late Mr. William Pengelly.

recently (pp. 387–8) were able to report on the flourishing condition of both the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College and the Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. We are, however, sorry to see by the 'Ann. Rept. Smiths. Instit. to July, 1895,' published in 1896, and just received, that the Secretary writes in a much more pessimistic manner on the finances and capacity of the National Museum at Washington:—"The problem of even providing shelter of any kind for the vast amount of material daily received from persons interested in the growth and work of the Museum still remains unsolved. The Institution is placed in an embarrassing position. It has been designated by law as the only depository of collections offered to, or made under the auspices of, the Government, and cannot, under the law, refuse to receive them. The fact remains, however, that when accepted there is no suitable place in which to Zool. 4th Ser. vol. I., October, 1897.