In many branches of collecting comprehensive catalogues have been published which enable the student to classify, arrange, and price every piece among his treasures. With military curios, however, no such publications exist, but a very useful guide is the official catalogue issued by the Royal United Service Museum in Whitehall. The Museum itself is well worth frequent visits, for it is only by constant inspection of such exhibits as those displayed in this gallery that we can get to know of the existence of certain curios and of the shape, texture, and pattern of others. The Museum possesses particularly fine exhibits of medals, even of the earlier types; of uniforms, especially head-pieces; of regimental banners, and such weapons as swords and rifles. The United Service Museum is by no means the only treasure-house of interest to collectors of military curios. The Tower of London, the Wallace Collection, and the Rotunda at Woolwich, each possess much that is worth inspecting in the way of armour and weapons, whilst the British Museum has a collection of medals which is almost unique. The traveller on the Continent will find many instructive exhibits in the Musée d'Artillerie at Paris, the Rijks Museum at Amsterdam, and the National Museum at Copenhagen. CHAPTER II REGIMENTAL NOMENCLATURE Household Cavalry--Dragoon Guards--Cavalry--Artillery--Engineers --Guards--Infantry, both past and present nomenclature--Other units The composition of the British Army is a matter concerning which the lay reader knows but little. As many regiments will be mentioned by name in the following pages, it is very necessary that the various divisions be given in tabulated form for purposes of reference. Without such a list the collecting of badges, crests, and other devices cannot be performed methodically nor can we study the various forms of dress with anything like precision. The following list consists of one hundred and fourteen units, many of which may be sub-divided into regulars, territorials, and cadets. Where such sub-divisions exist separate badges are worn. It must also be mentioned that each battalion in certain regiments boasts of a distinct device of its own. The different badges worn to-day in the King's Army are therefore considerably above two hundred in number:-- HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY: 1st Life Guards. 2nd Life Guards. Royal Horse Guards. DRAGOON GUARDS: 1st Dragoon Guards (King's). 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays). 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales's). 4th Dragoon Guards (Royal Irish). 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales's). 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabineers). 7th Dragoon Guards (Princess Royal's). CAVALRY: