362 NATURAL SCIENCE. June. 



British song-birds have been brought down from the corridor, and 

 now stretch from the Bird-gallery, across the Coral-gallery, down the 

 middle of the Reptiles ; this disposition is far from elegant, but the 

 birds are at all events near their fellows, and we are not sorry to see 

 some of the gaping crocodiles placed in a less conspicuous position. 

 We welcome, however, en passant a really fine and well-mounted 

 specimen of Tomistoma, a crocodile from the Malaccas. The corridor 

 from which these birds have been removed is now being filled by the 

 stuffed specimens of African antelopes, among which the magnificent 

 Kudu has a prominent position. Thus room is made in the 

 adjoining Mammal-gallery for an extensive series of admirable altera- 

 tions, being carried out by Sir William Flower with the assistance of 

 R. Lydekker. The first principle of the change has been to bring the 

 various specimens of the respective groups into proximity. Thus, the 

 Monotremata occupy two glass cases near the entrance ; the first bay 

 on the right is devoted to Marsupialia ; the second, to Edentata and 

 Sirenia (Cetacea cannot be represented here on account of their size, 

 so the visitor is informed where they are to be found) ; the next bay 

 is occupied by Suina ; the fifth by Camelidse ; then follow the rest of 

 the artiodactyle ungulates up to the end pavilion, which is filled with 

 specimens of Bos and Ovis, of which the Museum has a fine collection. 

 The perissodactyle ungulates and the rest of the Mammalia will be 

 arranged in the bays along the other side of the gallery. The 

 arrangement is purely systematic, but an attempt is made to bring 

 out the meaning of the system by calling attention to the diagnostic 

 characters of Orders, Families, and Genera, with the help of 

 explanatory labels and specially prepared osteological specimens. 

 Each genus is exemplified, but only such species are exhibited as 

 show range of variation in structure or of distribution. The distribu- 

 tion of the divisions, from Orders to Species, is shown by maps of the 

 world of gradually decreasing size ; thus the greatest detail has to be 

 shown on the smallest map, a difficulty which might be got over by 

 having maps of the zoo-geographical provinces for the species, 

 since a species is rarely found in more than one province. 

 Where not required for exhibition purposes, the upper portions 

 of the lofty wall-cases are blocked in, the fronts being used for 

 maps and explanatory labels, and the backs for the storage of 

 duplicate stuffed specimens. The gaps in the modern systematic 

 series, caused by the extinction of many families and genera, 

 are filled by specimens, photographs, and labels, while the visitor 

 is also directed to the corresponding exhibits in the Geological 

 Department. The latter department has followed this plan for some 

 time, so far as recent animals are concerned, and we are glad to see it 

 at last adopted by the Zoological Department. Nevertheless, it brings 

 out more clearly than ever the not only unphilosophical, but unprac- 

 tical, character of our separation of animals into recent and fossil ; 

 for as each department advances towards its ideal, we see evolved 



