Removal and Rearrangement. 61 



placed in the drawers of the table-cases, while those preserved in 1882-1884. 

 spirit were deposited in the Spirit Building in a fair state of 

 arrangement. 



The Coral Gallery is a long gallery, 210 feet by 18 feet, 

 running parallel to the Bird Gallery and situated between 

 it and the northern galleries. Its architecture offers peculiar 

 advantages for an effective display of the wonderful variety 

 of structure of Corals and Sponges; Polyzoa, Hydrozoa, and 

 Protozoa occupied the terminal compartments of the same 

 gallery. Of these compartments there were six, formed by pier- 

 cases projecting into the gallery. The pier-cases have both 

 fronts glazed, so that the contents can be viewed from every 

 side ; the shelves are also glass, instead of wood as in the other 

 cases. The floor of the gallery was occupied by table-cases 

 and magnificent examples of large Coral-colonies. The table- 

 cases of this gallery as well as an annexe offered sufficient room 

 for the non-exhibited portions of these collections. 



The saloon behind the " Index Museum " had been set aside 

 for the collection of British Animals. In its composition this 

 exhibition was intended to differ greatly from that of the other 

 galleries, inasmuch as it should not be merely representative of 

 the higher groups, but should embrace, if possible, all the species 

 and varieties of animals found within and around the British 

 Islands. It is the collection to which here, as in the Museum 

 at Bloomsbury, the large number of visitors resort who seek 

 recreation from their daily toil in collecting specimens of 

 Natural History of some kind, and to whom this occupation is 

 as fascinating as sport to the higher classes of the community. 

 Many wish to obtain the proper names for their captures, 

 and visit the Museum solely for that purpose. Nearly the 

 whole of this exhibition had to be formed anew ; Vertebrates 

 gave comparatively little trouble, but the Insects and Shells 

 required a great deal of labour. All the specimens of the latter 

 class had to be removed from their old faded tablets to which 

 they had been glued, cleaned and remounted upon dark paper in 

 glass-topped boxes, which were so arranged in the cases that the 

 smaller species could be examined with an ordinary lens without 

 the cases being opened. Although the mechanical work could 

 be done by Attendants, labelling, selecting, arranging the 

 specimens, and supervising the work were the duty of the 

 Assistants, and occupied them long after the saloon had been 

 opened to the public in 1886 (July 8th). 



The Insect Boom consisted of a suite of four rooms in 



