Correspondence between the British Museum (Natural History) and Sheffield Airey Neave regarding delegates to the Conference on Nature Preservation in Post-War Reconstruction, and a meeting of the Council
Letter to Dr F C Fraser of the British Museum (Natural History) regarding his name being put forward as the Society's representative on the National Committee of Biology
List of specimens sent to British Museum. Presumably compiled by JE Gray and GR Gray before their published version in 1846. Lists reveal 803 mammals, 4425 birds, 663 bird skins, 21 human skulls with origins
"List of the Specimens of Mammalia in the Collection of the British Museum.", 1843. Copy signed by Hodgson. Not annotated. "List of the Specimens of Birds in the Collection of the British Museum. Part I - Accipitres.", 1844. Copy signed by Hodgson. Not annotated. "Catalogue of the Specimens of Mammalia in the Collection of the British Museum. Part III. Ungulata furcipeda.", 1852. Copy annotated by Hodgson. "Catalogue of the Specimens and Drawings of Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, and Fishes of Nepal and Tibet, presented by B.H. Hodgson, Esq., to the British Museum. Second Edition.", 1863. Three copies annotated by Hodgson.
British Museum
To Brian Houghton Hodgson
29 Jan 1847
My dear Sir
As we are sending some of the copies of the catalogues I take the opportunity of sending you some letters which have been [waiting?] here. I hope the catalogue will be satisfactory to you, there are some points on which we may differ but such differences elicit truth while easy compliances only perpetuate error. I have just had a visit from Mr. Grace who gave me an account of you. I have looked over his skins he has no Mammalia and only three kinds of Birds not in your collection. Blyth appears to have treated him as he did you as he passed Calcutta. Your skeleton(s) has caused us to go on collecting others and now we have three times as many as they have in the College of Surgeons and nearly as many as they have in Paris except in [?]. We are printing a catalogue of them and your specimens will there appear again as they will in my new catalogue of Mammalia and Birds now in the press. You will see by the catalogue what are the desiderata of Skin and Bones but I shall be very glad to receive good fresh skins of each species and they shall be duly stuffed and [protected?] from London dust [?] soon makes new ones requisite and desirable. I shall send you a list of the Drawings but we have not so many hands here as you have in India and these things take time. I should much like to have the Wild Horse and Ass. What is the Kiang? I shall have a fine work on antelopes for you shortly
Ever yours truly
J.E. Gray
VIZ 27 Sheets of fish, snakes, lizards etc. and 6 sheets of bats also a vol of Meerat Mag and 37 Mss descriptions also a new paper on [Murines?] and another on Birds abstract of [?] paper (to Zool Socy) Gray has for correction List of distribution of skins, Bird and Beast and List of Drawings, recent that is, those given to himself and to Gerrard and those first recd from Zool Socy
Original Drawings lent to Gray to look at returned
Canterbury January 3[r]d 1845
The Trustees of the British Museum
My Lords and Gentlemen
I have this day delivered to the Agent of the Museum at this place the following articles in continuation of the series of drawings and specimens illustrative of the Zoology of Nepal and Tibet already presented to the Museum
Drawings of Animals 15 +
Drawings of Birds 70 = 85
Skins of Mammals 402 +
Skins of Birds 4444 = 4846
Osteological specimens of Mammals 406+
Osteological specimens of Birds 663 = 1069
Grand Total as per details Lists delivered to Mr Gerrard 5996
The osteological Specimens have been added to the others in compliance with a suggestion of the Keeper of the Zoological department after inspection of them, and I believe they will be found of high value not only in helping to determine the important question of the true nature and limits of species, but also in forwarding the great end of natural classification not to speak of the aids they will afford towards [fixing?] the particular species of my large Collection upon a firm basis. I shall be glad to learn that the Trustees ratify the suggestion of their Officer.
This branch of the Collection, like the others, is rich in duplicates of which assuming that the originals are permanently deposited in the Museum, it is my request that one series may be hereafter delivered to the College of Surgeons if desired by that institution.
The drawings now presented, amounting to eighty one constitute the regularly numbered sequel of the series to which they belong (20 inches by 12) and which series they nearly complete. What remains to conclude the set shall be prepared and sent as soon as may be. Meanwhile I recommend that prompt measures be taken by the Museum to secure possession of those which went before them and which having fallen into various hands do not seem to be, all of them, forth-coming as they ought to be. The numbered Catalogues according to wh[ich] these drawings were prepared and despatched from India, will afford a ready clue to the amount of drawings that ought to be forthcoming according to the Catalogues adverted to, the number of Species is as follows -
Mammals of Nepal 126
Birds of Nepal 656
Mammals of Tibet 47
Most of these species were separately delineated and of many of them there were several delineations in this series of drawings, not, to mention the larger series preceding it and which likewise, so far as carried, ought to be forthcoming and has been presented to the Museum
Signed
B.H. Hodgson
Correspondence between British Museum (Natural History) and Geoffrey Marr Vevers regarding a report of a Black-Headed Gull to the Bird-Ringing Committee at the British Museum of Natural History, articles on Okapi by Reginald Innes Pocock, an account of the baby Dendrohyrax by Cecil Stanley Webb , Antarctic Seals, skins and skulls of small carnivores, the fox which the Zoological Society of London received from Tel Aviv Gardens, an exhibition of Tree Hyraxes, exhibits for Major Cottam, donations of specimens to the British Museum (Natural History), mongoose skins, Tangier Smith's location in Sze Chuan to locate the original Pandas, the release of Kodiak Bears at Whipsnade Zoo, publications by Doubleday on the Giant Panda, rings for a Golden Eagle from the Bird-Ringing Committee, the species of Monkey from Northern Nigeria, a Leopard from the Himalayas, measurements of the Kodiak Bears called Kam and Schatka at Whipsnade, and a donation of Hedgehogs to the USA
British Museum
To A. Gunther
-
- 1867
My dear Sir
Many thanks for your very kind note which settles the question. I dare say I shall make use of your memoranda in next month's Annals and Mag and send you a proof before it is printed. Shall I send it your present address? In this case do not trouble yourself with a reply to this or to Dursley.
Yours very truly
A. Surtees
Report on the status and operation of the British Museum (Natural History), and damage suffered as a result of enemy action