130 The Irish Naturalist. [Ma}^ 



collectors at the better-worked orders contribute specimens to 

 fill gaps in the Museum series. 



Passing from the western end of the invertebrate section, we 

 enter the section devoted to the Irish vertebrates. The arrange- 

 ment of these is already in a forward state. The series begins 

 with the eastern window-case on the south side, where the 

 lowest vertebrates — the tunicates and lancelet — are shown. 

 At the end of the adjoining wall-case are the lamprej^s, and in 

 the succeeding window wall-cases on the south, west, and 

 north sides the fishes are exhibited. Most of the species are 

 represented by coloured plaster-casts, which usually give a 

 much more life-like result in the case of fish than either spirit 

 — or stuffed specimens. Where spirit-specimens have to be 

 shown, however, it is intended to substitute flat-faced cells for 

 cylindrical jars, which always distort the object within. A 

 fair number of fish, mounted in the flat cells and coloured by 

 a new method in imitation of the natural hues of the living 

 creature, are now exhibited, and form interesting and beautiful 

 objects. 



The birds are shown in tall table-cases ranged on the floor- 

 vSpace, the attractive life-histor>^ groups being inserted in their 

 proper places. At present these table-cases stand lengthwise 

 along the room, but it has been decided that a better light on 

 the specimens would be obtained by turning them trans- 

 versely, and this change will shortly be made. Maps showing 

 the summer and winter range of each species are in prepara- 

 tion, and should prove instructive. In the wall-cases at the 

 east end of the room the mammals are exhibited. It is 

 necessary to be content with drawings of the different kinds 

 of whales, on account of the great size of the specimens ; but 

 the visitor is told by labels that skeletons of certain Irish 

 species are included in the general mammalian collection up- 

 stairs. One small side-case is given to the rodents, another to 

 the insectivores and bats, while the large central case is 

 occupied by the ungulates and carnivores. 



In the lobby outside the lower room the large life-history 

 group of Herring-gulls has long been a familiar object. Nests 

 and eggs of Irish birds have now been placed in table-cases 

 around this lobby, while photographs of nests in their natural 

 surroundings have been hung on the walls. As this lobby 



