The Scottish Naturalist. 5 1 



table-cases, extending round the front of the gallery. These latter contain the 

 insects, and there is ample space beneath tiiemlorjfrtting up tiers of drawers as 

 the specimens increase. The walls en each' side^T entrance (by a flight of stone 

 steps) are hung with photographs of local interest. The wall- cases dontaln the 

 vertebrata. On the west wall are, -a case, illustrative ion a small scale, of the com- 

 parative anatomy of the vertebrates, including a fine series of human skeleton?, 

 from the infant to the adult ; and two cases of British Mammals. The whole of 

 the south wall, and part of the east, are taken up by a fine collection of British 

 birds, mounted on plain wooden stands, and disposed on brackets fastened to 

 the backs of the cases. The Falconidae, presented by Mr. Bell, (a member of 

 the Paisley Philosophical Society,) are a very fine group, and the case of Ducks 

 is deserving of special notice. Indeed, with but very few exceptions, the whole 

 of the birds are in good condition, and reflect credit on the taxidermist. The 

 desiderata are still many, especially among the sea-birds, but doubtless they 

 will gradually diminish after the opening of the museum. The remaining cases 

 on the east wall are to be occupied by British reptiles and fishes. The large 

 table-cases contain collections of Mollusca, Crustacea, Echinodermata, &c., 

 specimens of Rocks, Ores, and Chrystals. There are also small collections of 

 Fossils, (principally Mollusca) and Prehistoric remains of urns, ornaments, &c. 

 Not the least interesting case, at least to the good people of Paisley, is one 

 which contains among other things, portions of the manuscript, a few plates and 

 original drawings, of Wilson's American Ornithology. Wilson, it need scarcely 

 be mentioned, was a native of Paisley. The collection of insects (Mr. Morris 

 Young's) is a very valuable and interesting one ; and, considering the poverty of 

 insect collections in almost all local museums, may be said to be the most at- 

 tractive feature of the gallery. The orders Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidop- 

 tera, Diptera, Xeuroptera, Orthoptera, and I lemiptera, are represented; and a 

 large proportion of the specimens have been collected either in Renfrewshire or 

 the surrounding counties ; furnishing a pretty complete series of the insect fauna 

 of the district. On this account the collection will prove very serviceable to 

 youthful students of entomology in the town, in assisting them to name and 

 classify their captures, always a trying and disheartening task to beginners. The 

 cases which contain the insects are only temporary, and it is very desireable that 

 they should, at the earliest convenient moment, be removed to the new and 

 more suitable cases prepared for them. A great deal remains to be done in the 

 way of filling in blanks, and completing nomenclature, &c , but as the managing 

 committee have secured the services of Mr. Young as curator, there is no fear of 

 this portion of the museum being neglected. The lowest forms of animal life, 

 the Protozoa and Ccelenterata, are entirely without representatives, but it is the 

 intention of the curator to supply this defect when time and space permit. The 

 small botanical collection is displayed to the best advantage. A cabinet of i-;o 

 shallow glazed drawers, each containing a specimen mounted on tinted paper ; 

 a number of herbarium books, and a portion of one of the table-cases (for the 

 fruits, seeds, and more unwieldy dried plantsj have been provided for the recep- 

 tion of British plants. It must be remembered that a large proportion of the 

 collections have been presented by the Philosophical Society, and that many of 

 its members hate given valuable assistance in the work of gathering together the 

 many objects of interest The inhabitants of Paisley are to be congratulated on 

 the possession of a collection representing so well the natural history of the 

 country, and which may reasonably be expected to be productive of no small 

 benefit to the community at large— J. Allen Hakkkk. 



