128 The hish Naturalist. (June, 



slight traces of a foreign substance having long been known to 

 change the shape of a crystal. The effects of a little less or a 

 little more water in modifying the shapes of salts are noted in 

 several works. The Museum has a supply of spectroscopes, 

 a goniometer, a globe, and maps with the mountains in relief, 

 which are of great use in demonstrations. 



An optical lantern with slides illustrative of skeletons, 

 figures, and prehistoric ideal scenes is also amongst the 

 equipments, besides microscopes suitable for the examination 

 of mineral sections. A micropolariscope for use with the 

 ordinary microscope and one for the lantern microscope have 

 also been found to be valuable aids. A small chemical 

 cabinet is a useful adjunct to a mineralogical collection, as 

 well as a few physical apparatus for the determination of 

 specific gravity. These, with blowpipe and crucibles, are in 

 use frequently. 



The zoological collection is contained chiefly, in twenty- 

 four vertical cases, some of which stand out from the walls, 

 and in ten horizontal cases. There are, however, numerous 

 large skeletons, as in other museums, and stuffed animals that 

 cannot be conveniently placed in cases. A Cuvier's Duck 

 Whale is amongst the latter, also a Dugong and Manatee, an 

 Elephant, and Horse, a Camel and an Ox. The four last 

 .skeletons were prepared and mounted in the Museum. There 

 is to be seen here the skeleton of a Donkey. Those who 

 doubt the existence of a dead donkey may, after a visit, decide 

 that the skeleton need not be included in the current belief 

 referred to by young Mr. Weller. The extinct kind of Zebra 

 and the nearly extinct Giraffe are represented in this collection. 

 Birds, native and foreign, occupy two vertical cases. A tame 

 Gull that lived in the Museum some years ago displayed a 

 sympathetic interest in two of his race that are permanent 

 specimens. He found them out in his daily perambulation 

 up the Museum and sat down between them. The skeleton 

 of an Emu brought from Australia by Mr. Campbell of 

 Belfast, and presented to the Belfast Corporation, has here 

 found a resting place. A Rhea keeps her company. 



The Reptile case has one skeleton and two spirit preparations 

 of Hatteria. There is a Cryptobranch ; and, amongst the fishes 

 are a Protopterus skeleton, and a spirit preparation of Ceratodus. 



