74 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST, 



large cases, and includes one of the first pairs of gorillas sent 

 from Africa, and which is still one of the finest in any museum. 

 The centre of the hall is occupied by several groups of skeletons, 

 arranged in close proximity to the corresponding stuffed specimens; 

 while suspended overhead are the skeletons of members of the 

 Cetacean order. 



The bird collection commences near the western entrance, and 

 occupies a series of cases underneath the western and northern 

 galleries, together with a number of cases of special groups. 

 Among these may be mentioned a group of Regent-birds, Seri- 

 culus melinus, with their bower and natural surroundings. A 

 fine case of Birds of Paradise contains 30 species, represented 

 by nearly 50 birds, arranged in various positions on the branches of 

 a tree, and includes such rarities as Faradisornis rudolphi, Astrapia 

 nigra, and Astrarchia stephanice. The collection of parrots close by 

 is a brilliant gathering of some 150 specimens, but the most striking 

 display of the Ornithological department is that made by the 

 recently arranged groups of our unique Australian avi-fauna, the 

 Lyre-birds, Black Swans, and Native Companions, each in cases 

 about 15 feet long by 10 wide and 10 high. Here we have the 

 whole life-history of each bird from nest and eggs to the adult. 

 Thus the Lyre-bird case contains eight or ten adult birds, with 

 some half-dozen young of various ages, together with the nest, 

 situated in the forked trunk of a tree, which was removed bodily, 

 not without a great deal of trouble, from a secluded gully of the 

 Dandenong Ranges, while another portion of the case is occupied 

 by a " playing ground," with several birds engaged in their 

 favourite pastime. In the neighbouring case the Black Swans 

 are represented with their eggs in the nest, built of water weeds, 

 rubbish, &c., among the bulrushes on the edge of an artificial 

 piece of water, on which both adult and young birds are appa- 

 rently swimming about, while more birds are on the wing over- 

 head ; altogether some seven or eight adults and as many young 

 are here exhibited. The Native Companion, Antigone (Grus) 

 auslraliana, case contains, in addition to a young chick, seven 

 adult birds, each in a characteristic attitude assumed by these 

 creatures when engaged in one of their amusing dances. Though 

 the positions of the birds are somewhat grotesque, the case has 

 been much admired as a truthful representation by many country 

 residents who have witnessed this curious performance. 



The southern side of the hall is devoted to the fish and reptile 

 collections, each in its systematic order. The galleries are 

 occupied by the mineralogical and geological collections. The 

 latter, however, is not yet available to the public. The shells, 

 insects, and invertebrate collections will not be opened to the 

 public until the completion of the new building. 



There will doubtless be some slight changes in the arrange- 



