The 2nd Baron of Rothschild was a keen zoologist. He owned the largest zoological collection ever amassed by a private individual: 2,250,000 butterflies, 300,000 bird skins, 30,000 beetles, as well as thousands of specimens of other animals. He sponsored many explorers and scientists, hence many animal species are today named after him. In his will, he donated the collection to the British Museum. It was the greatest accession which that institution has ever received.