Sir William Flower. S'3 



grouse told, by aid of the labels, its own tale. In the "bays" of the 

 hall the splendid Index-Collection enabled students to comprehend the 

 leading features of the various groups of animals in a manner never before 

 seen. The exquisite dissections and artistic method of exhibition of 

 these specimens alone would have made Sir William's term of office 

 noteworthy. His young assistants amongst whom the late Mr. 

 Wray was the pioneer, and Dr. Ridewood his successor vied with eacb 

 other in the excellence and beauty of these preparations made under 

 the experienced direction of their chief. To zoologists they are ever 

 fascinating and instructive. The skilful methods adopted for illus-- 

 trating the various modifications and succession of teeth, of thtf 

 structure of limbs, of claws, beaks, and wings, from the most rudi- 

 mentary organs of the penguin to the great expanse of the 

 frigate-bird and albatross, and of the colour, size, and number of 

 eggs, cannot be surpassed. It was this methodical and accurate 

 system of working that led Mr. Wray to ascertain the curious fact 

 that the fifth cubital quill is absent in certain groups of birds, 

 hence the term " aquintocubitalisni." In the invertebrates, such as 

 the crustaceans and mollusks, the same thorough methods were 

 adopted, so that the Index-Collection was a marvel of informa- 

 tion. The great halls of the mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes and 

 other forms, such as the corals, under his fostering care, assumed 

 remarkable order and neatness, and new and rare specimens were 

 rapidly accumulated. There was a striking improvement in the 

 classification and taxidermy of the mammals, in the mode of mounting 

 on stands, and in the acquisition of the larger and rarer African and 

 Indian forms. In the collection of birds, the polished sycamore stands 

 gradually disappeared, and, instead, a dull surface of a good cigar- 

 brown was substituted by staining the wood. This was the result of 

 careful experiment under the experienced eye and refined taste of the 

 Director himself, and a suggestion from the late President of the Royal 

 Academy, Lord Leighton. Every effort was made to give the speci- 

 mens natural postures and natural surroundings. Thus, for example, 

 the tree on which the woodpecker was at work was cut down, the 

 foliage modelled in wax, and all the surroundings carefully kept. 

 Hovering birds were suspended by fire wire or thread. Birds making 

 nests in holes, such as the Manx shearwater, sand-martin, and king- 

 fishers, either had the actual parts or a model of these beside them, 

 just as the nests of the gannets and guillemots on the Bass Rock 

 were shown with their natural environment. The birds, moreover,, 

 were re-classified. In the same way Lord Walsingham's splendid 

 collection of British butterflies and moths with their caterpillars and 

 food-plants illustrated the life-history an^ often mimicry of this 

 interesting group. He was busy with tLo life-histories of other im- 

 portant groups just before his retirement, e.g., the food-fishes, and he 



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