Notes

Abstract

THE Cambridge Museums and Lecture Rooms Syndicate, in their eighth annual report state that the Regius Professor of Physic has again called their attention to the urgent need of better accommodation for the medical examinations. Among the additions which have been made to the collections in the several museums, the bequest of the late Mr. 'Andrew, F.R.S., of the whole of his collection of shells and other specimens, deserves the first mention. It is of the highest scientific value. A most interesting collection of human crania, made by the late Dr. Thurnam, of Devizes, has been presented to the Museum of Human Anatomy, through the liberality of Prof. Humphry. A series of Devonian fossils, of great beauty, presented by Lady Burdett Coutts, deserves special mention, as also does the contribution of several hundred specimens of Palæozoic and other fossils by Prof. Hughes, and the gift of 500 sterna of birds by Prof. Newton and Mr. E. Newton, and of a skeleton of the extinct bird “the Great Auk” by Prof. Newton. The building of the Cavendish Laboratory is now finished, and the Laboratory is open for practical instruction in physics. As the several collections and the number of students in the several departments increase, the current expenditure necessarily increases. The Syndicate are therefore of opinion that the time has arrived when they are obliged to call the attention of the Senate to the necessity of increasing the amount of the annual grant to the museums and lecture-rooms maintenance fund. They suggest, however, that for the current year a special grant of 300l. be made to the fund. Appended are the reports of Professors Humphry and Newton, and of the Superintendent, Mr. J. W. Clark, which give details of the past year's work and the additions made to the various collections.