128 The Irish NaUiralist. [May, 



served to maintain a conservative policy for several years. 

 The "noble discontent" which led to the present re-arrange- 

 ment was due to Dr. P. L- Sclater who, after a visit to the 

 Museum about two years ago, gave the officers the benefit of 

 his free criticism and advice. He urged that the various 

 groups of Irish animals, scattered about the building, should 

 be gathered into the lower room, leaving the upper hall for 

 the general zoological seiies. And he pointed out the objection 

 to the juxtaposition on the floor of the upper hall of mammals 

 and invertebrates. 



The main outlines of the new scheme being settled, the 

 details had to be thought out. The top gallery of the upper 

 room has been allocated to the general invertebrates, and 

 specimens are already in the cases, though the arrangement 

 at present is incomplete. The lower galler}^ is to be devoted 

 to the tunicates, lancelets, lamprej^s, fishes, amphibians, rep- 

 tiles, and birds ; the cases from which the Irish birds have 

 been removed will shortly be filled with representatives of the 

 lower vertebrate classes, while the general bird collection will 

 be re-arranged, the series running in ascending instead of 

 descending order. The floor of the upper room is given over 

 entirely to the general collection of mammals, and the arrange- 

 ment is now nearly complete. The large cases which formerly 

 ran down the centre of the hall have been turned at right 

 angles so as to stand transversely. Extra space and a more 

 satisfactory series have thus been obtained ; and the large 

 skeletons and stuffed beasts, which formerly stood in the 

 lower room and were worked into the geographical collection 

 because there was no room for them upstairs, have now been 

 brought up and placed in their proper zoological positions. 

 It is hoped ultimately to show in wall-cases a set of mammalian 

 skulls^. The cases on the landing, whence the British mam- 

 mals have been removed, have to be used for storage purposes 

 at present. It is intended to transfer to them the " History of 

 Animals " collection (illustrating the factors of evolution) which 

 for the present remains in the lower room, and also to form an 



"• At present the Irish invertebrates have not all been removed from the 

 wall-cases ; it is necessary to keep them temporarilj' stored there until 

 their uev^^ quarters downstairs are ready for their reception. 



