英国自然历史博物馆拥有世界各地动植物和岩石矿物等标本约4000万号，

其中古生物化石标本 700多万号，图书馆有书刊50万种，并保存着大量早期的自然研究手稿和图画等珍贵品。全馆有20间大陈列厅，内容包括古生物、矿物、植物、动物、生态和人类等六个方面。中央大厅为现代生命科学陈列厅，用立体景观、展柜介绍进化论和人类学知识。1 层右翼各陈列厅展示古生物化石标本，它展出有鱼龙，蛇颈龙，5米高的霸王龙，体态极小的新颌龙，尾翼达17米的翼龙以及完整的始祖鸟骨骼等;左翼各陈列厅展出现代动物,包括海洋无颈椎动物，鱼类，鸟类及爬行动物。其中以鸟类的陈列最为出色。2层左侧展出哺乳动物，其中较精采的是非洲热带草原动物和澳大利亚有袋动物的陈列;右侧陈列矿物、岩石、宝石，大理石并有专室陈列陨石。3 层是现代植物和化石植物的陈列

展出藏品

世界上最大的鱿鱼

2006年伦敦自然历史博物馆展出了一条世界上最大的鱿鱼，引起了众多参观者极大的兴趣。这条鱿鱼长约9米。2005年4月，它在福克兰群岛(马尔维纳斯 群岛)被捕获，在伦敦自然历史博物馆中展出。巨型鱿鱼通常生活在海下1000米深处，它们很少被人发现且从来没有被科学家进行过合适的研究。它们通常有8只粗"手臂"，外加两条超长的用于捕食的触须。日前展出的这条巨型鱿鱼还拥有一双长约0.25米的巨眼。有关巨型鱿鱼的传说很多。早在1530年，海员就发现了巨型鱿鱼，并把它们误认为传说中的男性人鱼或海中毒蛇。2005年9月，日本科学家首次拍到巨型鱿鱼的照片。

受诅咒的宝石

英国自然历史博物馆中收藏着一块罕见的"德里紫蓝宝石"，然而60年来，这块宝石却一直被锁在博物馆的柜子中，因为据称这块宝石携带"诅咒"，它的多任主人都灾难连连，甚至突遭横祸。该博物馆本周将公开展出这块尘封了百年的"魔咒宝石"。

据报道，这块"德里紫蓝宝石"是1857年印度兵变期间被士兵掠夺得到，并被一名叫做W·菲里斯的骑兵上校带到英国的。然而，宝石的新主人菲里斯来到英国后，就遭遇了连串厄运，他不但失去了所有金钱，并且还百病缠身。

菲里斯的儿子继承了这块宝石后，也遭遇了同样的厄运。菲里斯的一名家庭朋友将这块宝石借去把玩了几天，结果没多久，他就自杀身亡了。

这块价值连城的"德里紫蓝宝石"顿时成了灾祸的象征，人们纷纷谣传它遭到了"诅咒"，任何拥有它的人都会厄运缠身。1890年，英国科学家爱德华·海伦·艾伦得到了这块宝石，成了它的新主人。爱德华本是一名律师和小提琴制作者，但后来却成了一名科学家，对有孔虫类、单细胞水上有机生物深有研究，爱德华还是英国著名作家王尔德的朋友。

爱德华得到了这块"德里紫蓝宝石"后，结果也遭遇了一连串倒霉事。爱德华的两个朋友曾向他借这块宝石回家观赏，结果一个朋友从此屡屡遭遇不幸事件;而另一个朋友则是一名歌手，自从她借回这块宝石观看后，她竟突然开始"失声"，从此再也没有唱过歌。

尽管爱德华一开始并不相信什么"魔咒"，但当他的朋友双双遭遇厄运后，爱德华终于一狠心，将这块无价宝石扔进了伦敦摄政运河里，可没想到3个月后，这块宝石又离奇地回到了他手中。原来一艘挖泥船从运河中捞到了这枚宝石，一名商人从船员那儿买下了它，并将它"物归原主"还给了爱德华。1904年，爱德华终于受够了这枚"魔咒宝石"的阴影，将它寄给了自己的银行管理人，要求银行将它保管起来，直到他死都不要再被他看到。据称爱德华当时说:"我感到它会对我新生的女儿带来不利的影响。"

爱德华在1943年去世，去世前，他将自己的许多收藏品都捐给了英国自然历史博物馆，爱德华最后在遗嘱中，将那枚"魔咒宝石"也捐给了自然历史博物馆。让博物馆官员意想不到的是，爱德华竟然还在盒子中留下了一张警告性纸条，上面写道:"这块宝石显然受到了诅咒，它上面沾染了鲜血，每个拥有它的人都会失去荣誉。无论谁打开这个盒子，都应该先阅读一下这份警告，然后按自己的意愿处理这块宝石。我对他或她的建议是，他们应该立即将它扔进大海里。"

直到日前，这枚被冷藏多年的"魔咒宝石"才得以重见天日，英国自然历史博物馆决定在公共矿石馆重新开馆之际，将"德里紫蓝宝石"进行永久性展出，同时展出的还有它的"诅咒故事"。英国自然历史博物馆矿石收藏部主任艾伦·哈特承认，对于这样一个世界知名的科学博物馆，讲述一块宝石的"超自然"故事显然很不适宜，但哈特声称，这样的故事能给博物馆中的收藏品带来一种文化视角，并能够吸引更多的游客。然而，爱德华的后人却深信这块"德里紫蓝宝石"的确具有"魔力"，爱德华77岁的孙子艾弗·琼斯是一名前海军军官，他拒绝和这块宝石打任何交道。琼斯对记者说:"我的母亲生前从来不愿触碰这块宝石，她也要求我们不要和它扯上任何关系。

 英国自然历史博物馆1978年有工作人员750人，其中有300名各类科学家，分别在动物学、昆虫学、古生物学、矿物学和植物学等 5个研究部工作。科学家除了从事本学科的室内研究外，还组织和参加野外研究活动。该馆是植物、动物和矿物的国际分类学研究中心之一，为来自世界各国的学者所利用。该馆对动植物和矿物鉴定和命名，研究不同物种之间的亲缘关系和生物进化的理论，还致力于解决医药、农业、林业、渔业、矿业和石油勘探等各方面的实际问题。

英国自然历史博物馆是伦敦群众性科学活动的主要场所之一，每年观众和参加各种活动的人数达200万以上。该馆设有教育部门和讲演厅，组织对公众演讲，传授自然历史和自然科学知识。还开展多种对外服务和国际性活动，为有关的科研和生产单位进行科学考察和研究工作，与其他国家的科研机构进行交流与合作，参加大学的教学工作，担任讲课和培养研究生。 作为一家公共机构，英国自然历史博物馆在通过对IT网络进行升级来改进网络管理方面付出了相当大的努力。该博物馆每周七天要雇佣2500个 人接待访问博物馆的游客，并进行重要的调研项目。 他们选择了与IP通信公司Mitel进行合作，安新网络的应用将为博物馆减少开支，并改进工作人员以往由于工作量过大而造成的工作和生活不平衡的状况。除了应用新的网络 之外，该博物馆的另外一个重要举措就是准备搬进正在建设之中的新楼。

 2006年英国自然历史博物馆和BBC野生生物杂志合办了2006年度野生动植物年度图片。获奖者不仅能够得到野生动植物年度摄影师称号，还能得到巨额奖金。此次评选分为五个大类：年度野生动植物摄影大奖、特别奖类、成年组、少年组及票选最佳。同时，每个大类还包括若干小类。这一比赛吸引了来自78国家的32000件作品。英国自然历史博物馆10月26日将展出2007年壳牌野生生物摄影奖获奖作品，获奖作品随后还将在英国和海外展出。

 In 1978, the British Museum of Natural History had 750 staff, including 300 scientists working in five research departments: zoology, entomology, paleontology, mineralogy and botany. Scientists organize and participate in field research activities as well as in indoor research. The museum is one of the international taxonomic centers for plants, animals and minerals and is used by scholars from all over the world. The Museum identifies and names animals, plants and minerals, studies the relationship between different species and the theory of biological evolution, and also works to solve practical problems in medicine, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mining and petroleum exploration.

The British Museum of Natural History is one of the main venues for mass scientific activities in London, with over 2 million visitors and participants each year. The Museum has educational departments and lecture halls, which organize public speeches and teach natural history and natural science knowledge. It also carries out a variety of external services and international activities, conducts scientific research and research work for relevant research and production units, exchanges and cooperation with scientific research institutions in other countries, participates in university teaching and serves as lectures and trains postgraduates. As a public institution, the British Museum of Natural History has made considerable efforts to improve network management by upgrading its IT network. The Museum employs 2,500 people seven days a week to receive visitors to the museum and conducts important research projects. They chose to work with Mitel, an IP communications company. The application of Anxin Network will reduce the expenditure of museums and improve the imbalance between work and life caused by excessive workload in the past. In addition to the application of the new network, another important initiative of the museum is to prepare to move into the new building under construction.

In 2006, the British Museum of Natural History and the BBC Wildlife Magazine co-sponsored the annual picture of wildlife in 2006. The winners can not only get the title of annual photographer of wildlife, but also get huge bonuses. The selection is divided into five categories: the annual Wildlife Photography Award, the Special Award, the Adult Group, the Youth Group and the best votes. At the same time, each big class also includes several small classes. The competition attracted 32,000 works from 78 countries. On October 26, the Museum of Natural History will exhibit the 2007 Shell Wildlife Photography Award winners, which will then be exhibited in the UK and overseas.

The British Museum of Natural History has about 40 million specimens of animals, plants, rocks and minerals from all over the world.

Among them, there are more than 7 million fossil specimens of paleontology, 500,000 books and periodicals in the library, and a large number of early natural research manuscripts and pictures are preserved. The Museum has 20 large exhibition halls, including six aspects: paleontology, minerals, plants, animals, ecology and human beings. The Central Hall is a showroom of modern life sciences. It introduces evolutionism and Anthropology with three-dimensional landscape and Exhibition cabinets. On the first floor, the right-wing exhibition halls display fossil specimens of paleontology, including ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, 5-meter-tall Tyrannosaurus rex, tiny neojaw dragons, pterosaurs with 17-meter tail wings and complete Archaeopteryx skeletons, and on the left-wing exhibition halls display modern animals, including marine cervical vertebrates, fish, birds and reptiles. Among them, birds are the most outstanding. Mammals are displayed on the left side of the second floor, among which the most exquisite are the African savanna animals and the marsupials in Australia; minerals, rocks, gems, marbles and meteorites are displayed on the right side. Layer 3 is a display of modern plants and fossil plants

In 2006, London Museum of Natural History exhibited one of the world's largest squid, which attracted great interest from many visitors. The squid is about 9 meters long. In April 2005, it was captured in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and exhibited at the Natural History Museum in London. Giant squid usually live at a depth of 1,000 meters below the sea. They are rarely found and have never been properly studied by scientists. They usually have eight thick "arms" and two extra-long tentacles for predation. The giant squid on display recently also has a pair of giant eyes about 0.25 meters long. There are many legends about giant squid. As early as 1530, seafarers discovered giant squid and mistook them for the legendary male Mermaid or poisoned sea snake. In September 2005, Japanese scientists first took pictures of giant squid.

The British Museum of Natural History has a rare "Delhi Purple Sapphire" in its collection. However, for 60 years, the gem has been locked in the museum cabinet because it allegedly carries a "curse" and its owners have suffered disasters and even sudden transgressions. This week, the museum will publicly display the dust-laden "magic gemstone".

It is reported that the "Delhi Purple Sapphire" was looted by soldiers during the Indian Mutiny in 1857 and brought to Britain by a cavalry Colonel named W. Ferris. However, when Ferris, the new owner of the gemstone, came to England, he suffered a series of bad luck. He not only lost all his money, but also suffered from all kinds of illnesses.

Ferris's son had the same misfortune after he inherited the gem. A family friend of Ferris borrowed the jewel and played with it for several days. It didn't take long for him to commit suicide.

This valuable "Delhi Purple Sapphire" instantly became a symbol of disaster, people have rumored that it has been "cursed", and anyone who owns it will be beset by bad luck. In 1890, the British scientist Edward Helen Allen got the gem and became its new owner. Edward was a lawyer and violin maker, but later became a scientist who studied foraminifera and single-celled aquatic organisms. Edward was also a friend of Oscar Wilde, a famous British writer.

Edward got the "Delhi Purple Sapphire" and suffered a series of bad luck. Edward's two friends borrowed the jewel from him and went home to watch it. As a result, one of his friends encountered many unfortunate incidents. The other friend was a singer. Since she borrowed the jewel to watch it, she suddenly began to "lose her voice" and never sang again.

Although Edward didn't believe in the "magic spell" at first, when his friends met with bad luck, Edward finally threw the priceless gem into the Regent Canal in London. Three months later, the gem came back to him strangely. A dredger had retrieved the jewel from the canal. A merchant bought it from the crew and returned it to Edward. In 1904, Edward finally got fed up with the shadow of the "magic gem" and sent it to his bank administrator, asking the bank to keep it until he died. Edward was said to have said at the time: "I feel that it will have a negative impact on my new daughter. "

Edward died in 1943. Before his death, he donated many of his collections to the British Museum of Natural History. In his will, Edward finally donated the "magic gem" to the Museum of Natural History. To the surprise of Museum officials, Edward left a warning note in the box, which read: "This gem is obviously cursed, it is stained with blood, and everyone who owns it will lose honor. Whoever opens the box should first read the warning and then dispose of the gem as he wishes. My advice to him or her is that they should throw it into the sea immediately. "

Until recently, the "Curse Gem" which had been refrigerated for many years was not seen again. The British Museum of Natural History decided to permanently display the "Delhi Purple Sapphire" on the occasion of the reopening of the Public Ore Museum, along with its "Curse Story". Alan Hart, director of mineral collections at the British Museum of Natural History, admits that it is obviously inappropriate for a world-renowned science museum to tell a "supernatural" story about a gem, but Hart claims that such a story can bring a cultural perspective to its collection and attract more tourists. Customer. However, Edward's descendants are convinced that the "Delhi sapphire" does have "magic". Edward's 77-year-old grandson, Ivor Jones, is a former naval officer who refuses to deal with the jewel. Jones told reporters: "My mother never wanted to touch this gem in her lifetime, and she asked us not to have anything to do with it.