Ormtholoyij in the International Exhibition. 283 



Hancock, whose magnificent groups of birds justly attracted so 

 much attention when displayed in the central transept of the 

 old Crystal Palace, does not send anything. The story goes that 

 this gentleman applied for the room necessary to contain some 

 subjects he had executed, but that his application was met with 

 the stipulation that he should reduce by one-third the space he 

 asked for. Now as nature, in forming large birds, such as 

 Eagles and Swans, unfortunately did not take into consideration 

 the possible requirements of even International Commissioners, 

 the demand was equivalent to a refusal, and consequently the 

 public have lost the pleasure of once more gazing on Mr. 

 Hancock's achievements. A similar reason also, we believe, 

 deterred Mr. Leadbeater from exhibiting. We must beg conti- 

 nental ornithologists, however, to give us credit for the assertion 

 that this country has other bird-stuffers, both amateurs and 

 pi'ofessionals, who are in the habit of turning out specimens far 

 more beautiful than those by which, as far as the United King- 

 dom is concerned, ornithology is so badly represented in the 

 Exhibition. 



Though, as we have just above stated, the British display of bird- 

 stuffing has been collected in one subclass, it is very much the con- 

 trary with colonial and foreign specimens. These are scattered 

 about as irregularly as in 1851 ; some, indeed, can scarcely be 

 said to be classed at all. A good proportion of our numerous 

 dependencies send stuffed birds, though with what particular 

 object they appear in an Industrial Exhibition it might be hard 

 to say, — unless it be to show the raw materials of the process by 

 which ornithologists may be manufactured. Nevertheless we 

 are far too thankful for what is thus put within our reach to 

 cavil thereat ; besides, many of the colonial consignments com- 

 prehend objects of great scientific interest. In noticing them 

 we shall follow the order in which they are arranged in the first 

 edition of the Catalogue. 



To begin with our colonial possessions, the General Committee 

 of South Australia, through Mr. Henry Jones, show a number 

 of birds (No. 2) moderately well mounted in cases, containing, 

 among others, a specimen of that rare Acci})itrine, the Gypoictinia 

 melanosternon (Gould, B. of Austr. i. pi. 20), the only example 



