Abstract
H.M. THE KING has presented to the Museum an exceptionally fine specimen of a black leopard from India. The skin is very dark and the spots are scarcely visible in certain lights. In March 1936, Mr. H. St. J. B. Philby set out on a journey through the districts of Asir and Najram in Arabia, returning to Jidda in the early part of this year. During this trip, Mr. Philby made large natural history collections which he has presented to the Museum. Apart from the birds which number 747 specimens belonging to some 100 species, the collections include mammals, reptiles, fishes, mollusca, a large number of insects, 230 botanical specimens, some minerals, and about 400 rocks. Among the birds, three are new to science, namely, a race of the common magpie, a small Scops owl, and an emerald cuckoo. His collection includes a number of eggs previously unknown. The Department of Entomology has received from Mrs. Tillyard a collection of 500 mayflies and 700 dragonflies which formed part of the late Dr. R. J. Tillyard's collection. Among the dragonflies are included the type specimens of 105 species, and among the mayflies of 8 species. This gift is perhaps the most valuable addition to the Museum collections in these groups that has been received for many years. Accessions to the Department of Geology include a collection of about 20,000 fossil invertebrates (including 60 type and figured specimens) from the Ordovician and Silurian strata of the Girvan district of Ayrshire. The collection was made by the late Mrs. Robert Gray of Edinburgh and her daughters. Mr. F. N. Ashcroft has presented a further series of 747 specimens from his collection of Swiss minerals.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Acquisitions at the British Museum (Natural History). Nature 140, 18 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/140018a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/140018a0