which have large cheek pouches, wherein they store their food to carry it to their burrows.

On the tops of the Cases and suspended on the walls, are arranged specimens of Seals, of Porpoises and Dolphins, and of the Manatees of Jamaica and Western Africa: most of these mammalia live in the sea; a few in estuaries or rivers. Some of the Seals are much valued for their skins and oil. Among the Dolphin family may be noticed the curious Platanista, or long-beaked Dolphin of the Ganges (on the top of Case 79).

The GENERAL COLLECTION OF CORALS is exemplified by selections arranged in the Table Cases. Tables 1-20 contain the various kinds of Madrepores or Star Corals, as the Sea Mushroom; the Brainstone; the Clove Coral; the Millepore. On the floor is a large mass of one of the corals which forms reefs in the sea, so dangerous to ships. Tables 20-31. The Barbed Corals; the Red Coral of commerce; the Gorgonia or Sea Fans; the Sea-pens, some of which emit a bright phosphorescent light.

A large square glass-shade* in the middle passage of the room contains a series of "Barbed Corals," selected on account of the exquisite delicacy of their structure, most closely resembling the growth of various trees and shrubs.

Some of the most interesting Sponges are exhibited in upright cases at the top of the table-cases. What is preserved of these creatures, is a kind of skeleton formed by a network of siliceous filaments or spicules. The soft substance of the Sponge, which is spread over this skeleton, is generally lost; or, if preserved, shrunk into a very thin layer or bark. Case M, over Table-Case 25, contains a series of the so called " Glass-rope-coral," from Japan and the Coast of Portugal (Hyalonema), a Sponge which emits from its bottom part a long bundle of siliceous fibres twisted like a rope; with the aid of this rope it retains its hold in the soft mud at the bottom of the ocean, as with a root. The Japanese detach this rope from the Sponge, and manufacture spurious specimens of natural history, examples of which are also exhibited.

66

Case D over Table-Case 8, contains specimens of the most beautiful Sponges known at present (Euplectella and Meyerina). Their skeleton consists of a network delicate like lace, and the name Venus Flower Baskets" has been given to them. They are found in the neighbourhood of Cebu, an island in the Philippine Archipelago. Examples of the "Birds'-nest Sponges" (Holtenia and Crateromorpha), from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, are also exhibited in this Case.

Opposite to this case, a magnificent specimen of a fibrous sponge, called Neptune's Trumpet" (Luffaria archeri), more than five feet in length, is exhibited. It was discovered at Ambergris Island on the coast of Yucatan, and presented to the British Museum by Surgeon-Major Samuel Archer.

* It is placed behind the marble bust of Dr. John Edward Gray, for many years Keeper of the Zoological Department.

EASTERN ZOOLOGICAL GALLERY.

The Wall Cases contain the general collection of BIRDS; the larger Table Cases contain the collection of SHELLS of Molluscous animals; on the top of the Wall Cases is a series of horns of different kinds of Deer and Rhinoceros.

The Wall Cases on the west side of the room, or to the left on entering from the Mammalia Saloon, contain (1-26) the diurnal and nocturnal Birds of Prey. Cases 27-42 contain the wide-gaped (fissirostral) Perching Birds; Cases 43-47, the slenderbilled or tenuirostral Birds; Cases 48-61, the tooth-billed (dentirostral) Passerine Birds; Cases 62-73, the strong-billed Conirostral Birds; Cases 74-83, the climbing or Scansorial Birds. These are all on the west side of the room.

On the east side of the room, Cases 84-106 contain the Gallinaceous Birds; Cases 107-134, the Wading Birds; and Cases 135-166 the Web-footed Birds.

Cases 1-26. Diurnal Birds of Prey. Some of the most interesting species are, the Condor, or Great Vulture of the Andes, which soars higher than any other bird; the Turkey Buzzards, or Carrion Vultures, which clear away putrifying carcases, and are the most useful scavengers in the warmer parts of America; the Eagles, the most formidable of which are the Harpy of South America and the Wedge-tailed Eagle of Australia; the Kites; the true Falcons, which are the most courageous, in proportion to their size, of all the Birds of Prey, and some of which are used in Falconry; the Secretary Bird of South Africa, with its long legs, which kills venomous snakes, and derives its name from the plumes, like pens, on the side of the head. These obtain their food during the day.

Of the nocturnal Birds of Prey, may be noticed the great Hawk and Eagle Owls; the Snowy Owl of North Europe and America. The long feathers of the eared Owls must assist in collecting the slightest sound; the birds themselves glide noiselessly through the air.

Cases 36-83. The Perching Birds, divided into five great sections. Of the wide-gaped section, Cases 36, 37, may be specified the Goatsuckers, which fly about at night, and live on moths and beetles; the Trinidad Goatsucker, or Fat-bird, is found in caves in South America; the fat of the young is used in cookery. The Leona Goatsucker of West Africa, with very long feathers appended to its wings, so that it looks like three birds when it flies. Case 38 contains the Swallows and Swifts, which pursue flies on the wing; their wings and tail are very long, their legs very short. The Esculent Swallow constructs its nest of a substance which when dissolved in soups is esteemed a great luxury in China and elsewhere in the East. Case 39. The Todies, Rollers, Broadbills, and Motmots, living chiefly on insects and fruits; the plumage of many of these is very showy. Case 40. The Trogons, living in low damp woods in the tropics, particularly of the New World; one of the most conspicuous is the long-feathered Quezal, a sacred bird

of the ancient Peruvians. Cases 41, 42. The Kingfishers, large-billed birds with short tails, living on fish, insects, and other small animals, are generally of bright plumage. One of the largest and most sombre-coloured is the Laughing Kingfisher of Australia, which lives on snakes and reptiles; the colonists call it the Jackass, from its loud and singular note. Case 43. Among the Tenuirostral Birds may be noticed the Hoopoes and Sunbirds of Africa and Asia; the latter have brilliant metallic plumage, and have often been taken for Hummingbirds; they feed on the nectar of flowers and on insects which they find in the tubes of flowers. Case 44 contains the true Humming-birds, peculiar to America. The males are of the most resplendent colours. Among the finest may be mentioned the topaz, garnet-throated, tufted-necked and racquet-tailed Humming-birds. The beak in some of the species is of enormous length, in most it is straight or bent down, in a few it is turned up. Their food consists of minute insects and the honey of flowers. They fly with a humming noise, and never settle on the ground.

Case 45. The Honey-eaters, peculiar to Australia and New Zealand. They have curiously-feathered tongues, which assist them in sipping their food. Cases 46, 47. The Creepers, Nuthatches, and Wrens, most of which can creep up and down trees, their long hind claws taking a firm grasp of any inequality in the bark. The Nuthatches have great strength in the beak, in this respect resembling Woodpeckers, and, like them, tapping on trees. Cases 48-61. The tooth-billed Passerine Birds feed chiefly on insects and grubs. Case 48. The Tailor-birds, forming curious nests of leaves, which they stitch together; the superb warblers and Emu Wren of Australia, and the Lyre-bird or Mænura of Australia, the largest of song birds. Case 49. The Warblers, birds of plain plumage, but famed for their agreeable song; the Blackcap and Nightingale are placed here. Case 50. The Wheatears and Titmice; the latter are very active in flitting from branch to branch and suspending themselves in all kinds of attitudes whilst seeking for insects on trees. Case 51. The American Wood Warblers. Cases 53-55. The Thrushes: some of these have long legs and short tails, such as the tropical Ant-Thrushes; many have brilliant plumage; others of more sombre plumage inhabit Europe and the temperate parts of the world, and are famed for their powers of song. Cases 56, 57. The Flycatchers, so named from their feeding on insects which they capture when flying. The Tyrants of North and South America pursue and catch small birds as well as insects. One of the most curious is the King Tody of South America, with a finely coloured and peculiar radiated crest on its head. Cases 58, 59. The Chatterers: many of these are of beautiful plumage and feed on berries and insects; remarkable among them is the white Chatterer of the American forests, called the Campanero, or Bell-bird, from its note resembling the convent bell. Case 59-61. Shrikes and Butcher birds: many of these impale insects and small birds on thorns, and hence their name; some of the Drongos, or Indian forked-tailed Shrikes, have great powers of song.

Cases 62-73. The Conirostral Passerine Birds feed chiefly on grain and fruit, but may be called omnivorous. The Crows and Jays; the curious bare-necked Grakles of South America; the gorgeous Birds of Paradise from New Guinea and the adjoining islands, to which they prove a considerable source of revenue. Selections of the finest specimens of the Birds of Paradise have separate glazed cases allotted to them. Case 65. The metallic-plumed shining Thrushes; the satin Bower Bird of Australia forms a bower of twigs, which it adorns with feathers and strews with bones and stones, using it as a place to play in. The Oxpeckers of Africa with their strong beaks pick grubs out of the skin of oxen and other beasts.

Case 67. The yellow and black Orioles, some of which, like the Cuckoos and Cowpen Bunting of North America, lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. Case 68. The Weavers of Africa and Asia, so named from the elegant nests they weave with dried grasses: some of these live in great colonies with the nests under one great cover; the Grosbeaks, particularly the thick-billed Ground-sparrow of the Galapagos. Case 69. The Tanagers of the New World, remarkable for the gay plumage of the males. Case 70. The Finches and Buntings, living chiefly on seeds; the Larks, with the hind claw long and straight; the Crossbills, with the points of the beak crossing each other and giving them great power in tearing pine-cones to pieces to get at the seeds; the Colies of Africa and India, which sleep in companies, suspended by one foot; the African Plantain-eaters. Cases 72, 73. The Hornbills, with their enormous beaks: the females when incubating are imprisoned in the nest (which is placed in the hollow of a tree) and fed by the male.

Cases 74-83. The Scansorial Birds, powerful graspers from the arrangement of the toes, two before and two behind. The longtailed Brazilian Macaws with naked cheeks; the Australian Parakeets; the Cockatoos; the New Zealand Strigops with its owl-like aspect; and the red and blue Lories of the Indian Archipelago. Case 77. The Toucans of the New World, with large beaks; one of the most curious is the curl-crested species. Cases 78–80. The Woodpeckers, with their wedge-shaped beaks and bristlypointed tails; they live on insects and larvæ, which they extract from trees, by pecking with their strong chisel-like beaks, and then inserting their long extensile tongues. The species are most numerous in America and Asia. Cases 81-83. The Cuckoos. Many of these deposit their eggs in the nests of other birds, which sit upon them and rear the young; the Honey-guides of South Africa are so called from guiding the natives to the nests of wild bees; the Golden Cuckoos of South Africa have brilliant metallic green and purple plumage; the Anis are black birds, found in South America and the West Indies. They are very fond of warmth, and live on insects.

On the East side of the room, in Cases 84-106, are placed the Gallinaceous Birds, beginning with the Pigeons, Cases 84-88; the most conspicuous of these are-the Victoria and great Crowned Pigeons of the East Indian Islands; the Nutmeg Pigeons, feeding on aromatic

fruits; the Didunculus, from the Navigator Islands, now very rare, being nearly exterminated by the introduction of the cat into those islands; the Bronze-winged Pigeons of Australia; and a Pigeon which has a red spot on the breast, as if it had been shot there with an arrow, and the blood had oozed out. Unlike the other Gallinaceae, the Pigeons when hatched are bare, and require to be fed by their parents. On the table cases opposite these, in glazed cases, are the Showy Fruit-eating Pigeons from New Guinea and the South Sea Islands. Cases 89, 90. The Curassows of South America, some of them with curious crests and knobs on their beak.

Cases 91-93. The Peacocks and Argus Pheasants of Asia and its islands; the rare Crossoptilon from Thibet, and the many-spurred Polyplectrons, with their fine eye-like spots. Case 95. The Monaul, or Impeyan Pheasants, found on the high mountains of India, where they live on bulbous roots, which they dig up with their large beaks. Cases 94, 95. The Pheasants: the most conspicuous are Lady Amherst's Pheasant from Thibet, and the long-tailed Reeves's Pheasant from China. A separate Glass-Case contains a remarkable cross between the Golden and Lady Amherst's Pheasants, more gorgeous in color, than either of the parents. Cases 96-99. The Wild Fowls, which are inhabitants of the Asiatic jungles and woods; the Fire-backed Pheasant, and the Horned Pheasants of North India, with their fine painted faces. Cases 99, 100. Turkeys and Guinea-fowl; the most conspicuous is the Ocellated Turkey of Honduras and Vulturine Pintado. Cases 101-103. The Partridges and Quails; some of the American species have been acclimatized in England; they subsist on seeds chiefly. Cases 104, 105. The Grouse: some inhabiting snowy regions, change their plumage in autumn to snow-white. The Sandgrouse, with their ochrey plumage, inhabit the deserts of the Old World. One species, the Syrrhaptes paradoxus, an inhabitant of Central Asia, has suddenly appeared in large numbers in Europe, and several small flocks have reached England, where they have been observed for three consecutive years. Case 106. Sheathbills and Tinamous of the New World. The Megapodius group, including the Brush Turkey of Australia, make large mounds of decaying vegetable substances, in which the eggs are deposited, and are hatched by the heat of the fermenting mass.

Cases 107-109. The Ostrich, Emeus, and Cassowaries, the largest of recent birds, incapable of flight, but noted for their powers of running. In Case 108 are specimens of the Apteryx, wingless birds of New Zealand, sleeping during the day, and feeding at night on worms and insects. Cast of the egg of the Epyornis maximus, a fossil gigantic bird, from Madagascar. Opposite the upright case 108, are placed three glass cases containing skeletons and other remains of three birds which, incapable of flight, formerly were found in abundance in certain uninhabited islands, but which became extinct soon after their home had been discovered and invaded by man. The most celebrated is the Dodo from Mauritius, a gigantic pigeon: with its skeleton are exhibited a foot, belonging to a specimen which was