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 Gallinaceæ, 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 aud 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 o 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 formerly contained in Tradescant's Museum at Lambeth, aud also various models of head, skulls, and bones of the foot. An oilpainting of this remarkable bird is hung in the wall case 108, which is said to have been made from a living bird, brought from the Mauritius. The selection of bones of the Dodo, shown in a small case on the right side of the skeleton, as well as the skeleton, were obtained from a turbary in the island mentioned. The two skeletons in the case on the right side of the Dodo represent a male and female of the Solitaire (Pezophaps solitarius) from Rodriguez, a small island situated about three hundred miles to the east of Mauritius. Like the Dodo, the Solitaire was a flightless pigeon, but less bulky, and of a more slender build. Although the wings were too

weak and quite useless for the purpose of flight, they were armed at the wrist joint with a large bony excrescence (at least in the male), and these birds appear to have used them in their combats very much in the same manner as our common pigeons. The skeletons were discovered by one of the naturalists accompanying the Transit of Venus Expedition in 1874, and presented by the Royal Society of London.

The case on the left side of the Dodo contains the remains of a gigantic flightless Goose from New Zealand (Chemiornis calcitrans). Like the pigeons of the Muscarenes, it became extinct within a very recent period.

Cases 110, 111, 112. The Bustards and Coursers, quick running birds, inhabitants of the barren parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, where they feed on grain, herbage, worms, and insects. Cases 113-134. The Wading Birds, generally provided with long legs. Cases 113, 114. The Plovers, Turnstones, and Oyster-catchers; the last are so named because they are said to open bivalve shells with their bills, to feed on the contents. Case 114. The Trumpeters of South America; one of these is employed to guard poultry from the attacks of hawks. Cases 115-117. The Cranes found on the borders of rivers and marshes, feeding on insects and seeds; the fine-crested Egrets, with their delicate white plumes; the Bitterns and Night-Herons; the wide-beaked Boatbill and Spoonbills; the Demoiselles, so named from their graceful and elegant motions. Cases 124, 125. The Storks and Ibises; the Ethiopian Ibis, the mummies of which were preserved by the ancient Egyptians; the Balaniceps of the Upper Nile, which is enabled by its powerful beak to feed on hard-scaled fishes and tortoises. Cases 127-129. The Godwits, Sandpipers, and Phalaropes; the Avocets, with their very long legs, and upturned or recurved bills; the long-legged Plover, which seems to walk on stilts. Case 130. The Snipes, which feed among marshes; the Painted Snipes of India. Case 131. The Jacanas, with their long toes, enabling them to walk with ease over the floating leaves of water plants; the Screamers of South America, with spurs on their shoulders. Case 132. The Rails. Cases 133, 134. The Gallinules, which live on the borders of rivers and lakes, and are excellent swimmers. In a glazed case, one of the most notable, as it is the rarest, is the Notornis mantelli of New Zealand, now nearly extinct. Case 134. The Finfoots of South America and West Africa have curiously lobed feet, and dive like the Grebes.

Cases 135-166. The Web-footed Birds. Case 135. The Flamingos, the longest-legged birds of the group. Ancient epicures regarded their tongues as a most luxurious dish. Cases 136-139. The Geese, such as the Spur-winged Geese, so named from the spurs with which the wings are armed; the Geese feed chiefly on grass and other herbage. Cases 140, 141. The Swans, with their long and graceful neck; the Black Swans of Australia, giving the names to one of the districts; the Black-necked Swan of Chili, acclimatized in Europe. Cases 142-148. The Ducks: some of these, as the Sea Ducks, Cases 146–148, have a fin to the hind toe; the spinous-tailed

Ducks are found in the warmer parts of the world; the pink-headed is a rare and curious species. Case 149. The Mergansers, natives of the arctic regions, feeding on fish. Cases 150, 151. The Divers, so named from their powers of diving, greatly owing to the back ward position of their legs; the Grebes have often curious tufts of feathers about their heads. Cases 151-154. The Auks, oceanic birds, found within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, where they dive after fish and crustaceans on which they feed; they use their scaly wings as oars: the Great Auk (Alca impennis) now extinct. The skeleton of this bird on the adjoining Table Case was obtained from a guanomound in a small island near Newfoundland. Case 154. The Sea Parrots and Guillemots, building on the ledges of precipices overhanging the sea. The Penguins, as the " Emperor," from the Antarctic Regions, and the "King" from the Falkland Islands, both of which are noticeable as being the largest and most singular of the aquatic birds. Cases 155-159. The Petrels and Gulls, marine birds, feeding on fish and other marine creatures; the Albatross has the greatest extent of wing of any bird, and the most wonderful powers of sustained flight. The Stormy Petrels seem to run on the water, and often feed in the wake of ships. Case 160. The Terns or Sea Swallows, birds of great powers of wing; the Skimmers have curious razor-like bills, the upper mandible being the shortest. Case 161. The Tropic Birds, so called from their presence being a sure sign to the sailor that he has passed the tropics. The Darters or Snake Birds have small heads and long necks; they dart into rivers, and spear fish with their sharp bills. Cases 162-166. The Pelicans, Cormorants, and Frigate Birds, some of which have large pouches under their beaks, in which they hold the fish which they catch.

The SHELLS of MOLLUSCOUS ANIMALS are placed in the larger Table Cases across the sides of the room.*

Tables 1-20. The Gastropods, like the Whelk and Snail, which creep by means of a fleshy surface projecting from the under part of the body and called the foot, and have comb-like gills. Some of the more marked are the Cones, such as the rare "Glory of the Sea," from the Philippine Islands; the animals of these kill their food by means of poisonous teeth implanted in their beak. Tables 3-13. The Trunk-bearing Mollusca, which, with the hard teeth in their long proboscis, make perforations in other shells and extract their contents; the Olives, Harps, Persian Carpets, Turnip shells, Mitres, Volutes, and Date shells; the Helmet shells, used in making artificial Cameos; the Wentletrap or Staircase shells, once celebrated among collectors for their rarity. The Violet shells, which float on the ocean and, like the Murices, emit a purple fluid which has been used as a dye. Tables 14-20. The Rostrum-bearing Mollusca, with a long muzzle with tentacles on the sides; as the Apple Snails, which live in ponds in warm climates; the Cowries-one kind is extensively used in place of small coin in Africa. These all crawl on a broad expanded foot. * Models of the animals of most of the families are arranged in the Cases along with the shells.

In Tables 19, 20 are the Strombs and Carrier-shells, which have a compressed foot for leaping. The Carrier-shell has the peculiarity of attaching to the outer surface, as it increases in size, stones, fragments of other shells, coral and other marine substances, and has been called "the Conchologist" and "the Mineralogist," according as shells or minerals preponderated.

Tables 21-25. The Scutibranchous Mollusca, the gills of which consist of lamellæ, forming one or two series on the back of the neck or on the under edge of the mantle round the foot; such as the Trochidæ, the Haliotidæ or Earshells with their pearly lustre; the Fissurellæ or Keyhole limpets; the Limpets with their simple conical shells, and the many-valved Chitons, which have a series of eight shelly pieces or "valves" down the back of the animal.

Tables 25-30. The Heterobranchous Gastropods, with variouslyformed respiratory organs. The Bullidæ are placed here, with their curious strong gizzards; the Bubble shells, the Aplysia or Sea Hare, which feeds on sea-weeds and discharges a deep purple fluid when danger approaches; the Helicidæ, or Snails and other allied families, which live on land and have cylindrical retractile tentacles.

Tables 31-48. The Bivalve shells or Conchifera; the animal of these is enclosed between two shelly valves, united by a ligament. Tables 31-38 contain the Siphonophora, which have the mantle closed behind, and furnished with two apertures, the lower for the admission, and the upper for the emission, of the water from the mantle cavity. Some of these, as the Veneride and other families, crawl on a compressed foot, while the Cockles have an elongated foot, angularly bent in the middle, and fitted for leaping. Near these, but with a small rudimentary byssiferous foot, are the Tridacne, one of which (the T. gigas), when full grown, is the largest and heaviest of shells, some of them weighing more than 300 pounds. The Pholadacea, or Boring shells, live sunk perpendicularly in holes in rocks, or in sand. Tables 39-48 contain the Asiphonophora, which have the mantle-leaves free, and sometimes a separate single siphonal opening, for the emission of the water, as the Mussels and Oysters, many of which secrete pearls; the brightly-coloured Spondyli, or "Thorny Oysters," with their rough, foliated or spiny shells, and the thin Placunæ, or "Cake-Oysters," which are semi-transparent.

In Table 49-50 are shells of the Mollusca which have no distinct foot on the under side of the body, and which either live attached to marine bodies (Brachiopoda), or float on the surface of the sea (Pteropoda), or walk on their heads (Cephalopoda). The Pteropoda have an expanded fin on each side of the small foot. Of these the Limacina and Clio are so abundant in the Arctic Seas as to form a great part of the food of the whale. The animals of Cephalopods (of which the Cuttlefish is an example) have eight, ten, or many strong and elongated arms round the mouth of their large and distinct head, on which they crawl the mouth is armed with large beak-like jaws. Their eyes are large, and their back is generally supported with a horny blade, some times strengthened with a shelly coat, as the cuttle bone. They have