58 Department of Zoology. 



1882-1884. forming it. Therefore, it was considered best to represent Man 

 by some typical specimens, and to limit the further increase to 

 acquisitions by donation. 



The saloon at the western end of the gallery was devoted to 

 skeletons of the largest terrestrial Mammals, especially a magnifi- 

 cent series of the living species and races of the Elephant, which 

 could thus be studied side by side : they comprised complete 

 skeletons of a tusker and tuskless variety of the Indian species, 

 of the Sumatran race and of the African species, besides skulls, 

 each of some special interest. 



The Cetacean Room, with its annexe for non-exhibited 

 specimens, has already been noticed (p. 38) ; the mounting of 

 the large skeletons naturally took some time, but both this room 

 and the Osteological Gallery were sufficiently advanced to be 

 opened to the public in April, 1883. 



The Mammalian, Bird, Reptile, Shell, Starfish and Coral 

 Galleries were opened to the public in quick succession in the 

 same year. Owing to the long preparation at Bloomsbury the 

 specimens could be distributed in the cases and arranged in 

 systematic order without great difficulty. With few exceptions, 

 badly stuffed examples had been weeded out, but some which 

 could not be replaced, as, for instance, the Antarctic Seals, 

 Penguins from the collection of the Erebus and Terror, 

 continued to form part of the exhibition, after having undergone 

 the process of cleaning and remounting. The exhibition in the 

 Mammalian Gallery included an unrivalled series of Wild Cattle, 

 Wild Sheep and Goats, Antelopes, and Rhinoceros. None of the 

 exhibits of any size, except the very largest like the Giraffe, were 

 allowed to be exposed to the deteriorating effect of dust, and, 

 consequently, of the frequent application of the dusting brush ; 

 all of them were enclosed in special cases, or in pier cases which 

 had been so constructed that the central wooden paTtition could 

 be taken out, giving a width of five feet ; by this arrangement 

 the specimens could be viewed from every side. The skins and 

 mounted specimens of large size, which belonged to the study- 

 series, were stored in a large room in the basement. 



The saloon of the Bird Gallery was occupied by the Struthious 

 Birds, including the fine series of Cassowaries, and, at a somewhat 

 later period, by some of the larger groups of British Nesting 

 Birds, which gradually extended along the whole length of the 

 centre of the gallery. To the immense collection of Birds'-skins, 

 then about 90,000 in number, besides eggs, a separate room, the 

 Bird Room, almost contiguous with the exhibition gallery, was 



