6o NATURAL SCIENCE. Jan., 



to. The Coleoptera are arranged in glass-topped boxes in book- 

 shelves on the staircase and in the upper room, while the Lepidoptera 

 are in course of arrangement in cabinets, both in the upper and lower 

 rooms, the collection containing altogether about 200,000 Lepidoptera 

 and 300,000 Coleoptera, and especially noteworthy for the large and 

 complete series of most species. All the specimens placed in the 

 public collection are, of course, duplicates. 



Passing to a more detailed examination of the public museum, 

 the first striking feature is the wonderfully life-like aspect of the 

 stuffed birds ^nd mammals. This is due to the fact that Mr. 

 Rothschild employs a specialist in each group, and for each kind of 

 work. For instance, all birds of the duck family, ostriches, &c., 

 are stuffed by Doggett, of Cambridge ; the eagles in Switzerland ; 

 and the same care and discretion are exercised in reference to the 

 mammals. The fishes, also, in the gallery are, many of them, 

 remarkably good, the work for the most part of the museum attendant. 

 Chief among the mammals may be noticed the large (probably the 

 largest known) gibbon, Hylohates syndactylus, brought by Dr. Hartert 

 from Sumatra ; while close by, on a small board, there sits in most 

 life-like posture the late chimpanzee, " Sally," from the London 

 Zoological Gardens. The lower monkeys are also numerously 

 represented. Among the Carnivora, a particularly interesting speci- 

 men is, a hybrid between the lion and tiger; and there is a bear's 

 head from Central Siberia of unusual size, the skull being larger than 

 that even of the largest Cave Bear in the Paris Museum, and said by 

 Milne Edwards to be almost identical in characters with the latter. 

 There is a fine example of the Caspian seal, the only specimen in 

 England ; and albinos are numerous, the most interesting being 

 one of the sable. Among the unique specimens of Ungulata, we 

 may refer to a fine quagga — an animal so rare that it is unrepre- 

 sented even in the British Museum — and the head of a rhinoceros 

 from Central Somali-land, with an enormous straight horn, and 

 possibly of a new species. Among smaller mammals, the recently- 

 described opossum-mouse from New Guinea [Acyohates) is conspi- 

 cuous ; and there is also an example of the rare squirrel, Rhinosciurus 

 tiipaioides, from Borneo. The collection of marsupials is very exten- 

 sive, comprising a fine series of kangaroos, wallabies, and koalas, &c.; 

 while the monotremes comprise the unique Echidna nigroaculeata, lately 

 described by Mr. Rothschild, from New Guinea — a very large animal 

 that lived for some time in Mr. Rothschild's possession, and of 

 which he has carefully preserved the skeleton and the soft parts in 

 spirit. 



Among birds, the most remarkable series are those of hybrid 

 pheasants, chiefly bred at Tring Park ; of the Tetraonidae (caper- 

 cailzies, &c.) from Russia, comprising about 280 specimens; and of 

 tlie ostriches and other struthious birds. The latter include a fine 

 series of cassowaries, stuffed by 'Six. F. Doggett, of Cambridge, 



