60 Department of Zoology. 



1882-1884. arrangement of these specimens was completed without difficulty 

 almost as soon as they arrived at their destination. 



The Shell Gallery was devoted exclusively to Mollusca, and 

 afforded sufficient room for the exhibition-series as well as the 

 study-collection. The majority of the table-cases came from 

 Bloomsbury, and were placed in twenty-six blocks. The arrange- 

 ment of the collection underwent no particular change, and 

 seemed to fulfil all the requirements of the public and the 

 numerous visitors with whom shells are a favourite study. 



Insect Gallery. One of the narrower northern galleries 

 appeared to be quite roomy enough for an exhibition of a 

 general representative series of Insects and the other Articulata. 

 Its arrangement was still in a backward state at the end 

 of 1884. The entomologists, particularly Mr. Waterhouse, gave 

 much time to it, but were frequently interrupted by other more 

 pressing duties. Nearly the whole of the specimens exhibited 

 in the old building were faded or otherwise deteriorated, so that 

 the formation of a new and more representative exhibition had 

 become a matter of necessity, and, indeed, had been already 

 commenced in the old building ; but thousands of specimens had 

 to be set and provided with printed or fairly written labels. 

 Besides, the gallery was intended to contain an exhibition 

 illustrating the life-history and metamorphoses of representative 

 or important forms. The collection and selection of suitable 

 materials for this object, their mounting on models of the 

 food-plants, etc., was an undertaking admitting of but slow 

 progress. 



The Starfish Gallery, so called from one of the best-known 

 types of the Echinodermata, was fitted out not only for an 

 exhibition of the animals of this class, but also for the 

 heterogeneous assemblage of creatures popularly comprised under 

 the name of Worms. As these animals possess greater attraction 

 to the scientific student than to the general public, and as many, 

 from their small size or the soft nature of their body, are not fit for 

 exhibition, no attempt was made to show more than a selection 

 of types of the great divisions of " Vermes." But, besides a very 

 complete series, supplemented by models or figures, and illustrating 

 the remarkable life-history of some of these animals, specimens of 

 all those which possess a special interest from their relation to 

 man, were also shown. The arrangement of this gallery 

 (completed in 1886) was entirely the work of Mr. F. J. Bell, the 

 Assistant in charge of this section of the Department. 



The dried specimens of the study-series of these animals were 



