184 THE CONVERSAZIONE. 



large collection of bouldere of North British and Welsh rocks, found in 

 the midliuid counties, and brought from considerable distances bj' the 

 icebergs that drifted over the Midland sea. The extensive collection of 

 the fauna exhibited might be di\"ided into thi-ee gi'oups : — (a) Specimens 

 of the fauna of the extreme Glacial Epoch, from Scotland, Norway, and 

 Canada, including Leda arctica, Pecten aratus, Pecten islandious, 

 Panopaja Norvegicae, Astarte boreahs, Velutiua laivigata, Trophon 

 clathratus, Littorina hraata, and veiy many extremely rare Al-ctic 

 species. A mass of the northern coral, Lophoheha prohfera, was also 

 exliibited, taken fiom a glacial bed in the Christiania Fjord, (b) Speci- 

 mens of the faima that immediately succeeded that of the Glacial Epoch, 

 showing the coming of milder climatic conditions, both in Britain and 

 in Norwaj'. (c) Specimens of the fauna of the most modern raised sea 

 beaches. Any one who carefully examined the numerous and very 

 interesting specimens contained in these three great groups of beds 

 could readily trace the physical and climatic changes of the epoch. 



The Biological specimens were numerous and very fine. Mr. D. W. 

 Crompton exhibited a complete collection of Bi'itish Hawks, (excepting the 

 Jer-falcon. now supposed extinct in Great Britain :) foreign pheasants, 

 including Gold and Silver Pheasants, East Indian ; LjTeBird, AustraUan ; 

 Lady Amherst Pheasant, having remarkable long tail ; Peacock Pheasant 

 of Thibet, having two embossed eyes on each feather of tail ; Impeyau 

 Pheasant, from Himalayan Mountains, fine colouring and metallic lustre ; 

 Scarlet and White Ibises of South America ; Sacred Ibis of Eg\-pt ; Glossy 

 Ibis of Europe ; Egret, from South America, very dehcate white feathers 

 in two plumes fi-om shoulder. Mr. Montagu Browne, Naturalist, Bir- 

 mingham, made a magnificent display with an extensive collection of 

 Animals, Bii'ds, Fishes, Keptiles, Insects, etc., including the following: — 

 Anijaals. — Badger, (Meles Taxus, L.,) from Northampton ; Otter, (Lutra 

 Vulgaris.) with young, from Ii-eland ; Wild Cat, (Fehs Catus.) from 

 Scotland ; Ermine, (Mustela Enninea, L., from Sutton Park ; Mole, 

 (Talpa Europea.) with cream-coloured variety of same, from King's 

 Norton ; Fox, (Canis Yulpes,) and j-ouug, from Scotland ; pair of 

 Duck-billed Platypus, (Platj-pus Anatus,) from Gipp's Land, Australia. 

 Birds. — Pair of Imperial Eagles, (Aquila Adalberti.) fi'om Spain ; pair of 

 Peregiine Falcons, (Falco peregi'inus, Briss.) Scotland ; pair of Snowy 

 Owls, (Sm-nia nycctea, L.,) Labrador ; Eagle Owl, (Bubo iguavnis, 

 Forst,) Archangel ; pair of Little Owls, (Athene noctua, Eetz.) Spain ; 

 pair of Bee-eatei"8, pierops apiaster, L.,) Spain ; Great Grej' Shrike, 

 Lanius excubitor, L.,) Wylde Green ; pair of Long-tailed Tits, (Acredula 

 rosea. Blyth.) with nest, Lichfield ; pair of Pintail Sand Grouse, (Pteroclcs 

 alchata, L.,) from Spain ; pair of WiUow Grouse, (Lagopus albus, Gm.,) 

 Norway ; pair of Greek Partridge, (Caccabis Gra3ca, or Chucar ?) Cyprus ; 

 pair of. Buff-backed Herons. (Bulbulcus ibis, Hasselq.) Spain; Phalarope 

 (Phalai-opusfulicarius, L.,) Hampshire ; common Swan (Cygnusolor, Gm.,) 

 District ; common Sheldrake (Tadorna coruuta, Gm. ;) Pintail Duck (Dafila 

 acuta, L.;) Teal (Querquedula crecca, L.) ; Eider Duck (SomatcriamoUis- 

 sima, L. ;) pair of Puffins, (Monuou Arctica, L..) Wales ; little Auk, 

 (Mcrgulus alle, L..) Handsworth ; Pomarine Skua, (Stercorarius 

 Pomarinus, Temm.,) from Lichfield Eacecoirrse ; pair of Arctic Tern 

 (Sterna Hirundo, L..) from District, and many others ; three ornamental 

 mounts, illustrating Birds of Austraha, South America, and the 

 INIalayan Peninsula, respectively ; some of the latter very rare. 

 Eggs. — Cctti's Warbler with nest' (Potamodns Cetti, Mami. ;) Griffon 

 Vulture (G^'ps fulvus, Gm. ;) Osprcy, (Pamlinn haliatus, L., and oth< r 

 rare ones. Fish. — Pike, (Esox lucius, L..) weight "idlbs., from 

 Sutton. Reptiles.— Gangetic Crocodile, (Gavialis (^angeticus,) 12ft. 

 long, from India. Insects. — The whole of the British Butterllics in one 



