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Description: | The natural science collections were mostly collected before 1900 and contain many specimens upon which species definitions are based (type specimens). The age, scope and quality of the collections therefore define their huge importance.
The museum holds over 1 million botanical specimens including 5,000 type specimens. The majority of specimens are of flowering plants, comprising 185,000 general, 345,000 European, 70,000 British, 39,000 specimens in the Leo Grindon collection, and 47,000 other specimens (duplicates, 3-D material, pharmacy and spirit collections). There are also 100,000 mosses, 35,000 liverworts, 27,000 ferns, 9,000 diatoms, 18,000 algae, 9,000 Exsiccata (uniform sets of numbered dried specimens with printed labels), 20,000 fungi, 36,000 lichens, boxed seeds and slide specimens also included (10,000 Palaeobotanical slides and 8,100 general/histological slides) and 50,000 unsorted specimens. The Herbarium contains plant material from all parts of the world, including local and regional specimens where applicable and was formed through the amalgamation many thousands of smaller collections and several major collections such as the European flowering plants (Charles Bailey collection), non-European flowering plants (founded on collections by Cosmo Melvill) and the Leo Grindon collection of cultivated and horticultural plants and associated illustrations and text cuttings. Other important collections include the Richard Spruce specimens, Darwin material from the voyage of the Beagle and specimens from Linnaeus' herbarium.
Insect collections comprise 3 million specimens including around 11.000 type specimens. It is the third largest collection in the U.K., and a major international scientific resource, representing all insect orders. Beetles form the largest group with 1.4 million specimens, some of which e.g. Spaeth Tortoise beetles are the most important in the world. Other predominant groups are the butterflies and moths (800,000) which include the extensive Schill collection of world Lepidoptera, dating from 1898 and one of the earliest notable collections. There are also 800,000 other types of insect. Some of the earliest insect specimens are recorded in 1802 by Thomas Marsham and were collected by the Rev. W. Kirby, although general lack of data means that other collections of the early nineteenth century do not survive in recognisable form.
The invertebrate zoology collections total 474,000 specimens and include c.5,000 type specimens. Molluscs form the majority of this group (380,000) and key collections are those of Hadfield, Townsend and Darbishire. There are also 60,000 arachnids, again with major collections from Freston, Locket, LaTouche and Mackie. The 27,000 slide specimens include the Waters collection (Bryozoa), Halkyard and Sidebottom collections of Foraminfera plus specimens of Acari. There are 7,000 other invertebrates from various groups.
Vertebrate zoology comprises just over 30,000 specimens (c.40 types) and includes all groups and all regions of the world collected since the 19th century. There are 16,500 birds and 10,000 birds' eggs, one of the strongest parts of the collection and including the Dresser collection. There are 1,560 mammals (Neave Collection), 750 fish, 500 amphibians and 900 reptiles, mostly dry preserved, but with some spirit specimens. | Subjects: | Reptiles Mammals Plants Fish Birds Insects Biology | Source: | Cornucopia - Discovering UK Collections | Address: | University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester,
M13 9PL | FAX: | 0161 275 2676 | Telephone: | 0161 275 2634 | Identifier: | oai:www.cornucopia.org.uk:2354 | Go to resource |
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