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CETACEAN GALLERY. 



UNTIL the erection of the west wing of the Museum the specimens 

 of Whale-like animals, for which, on account of their large size, no 

 place can be found in the portion of the Museum galleries already 

 completed, are lodged in a room, temporarily arranged for their 

 reception in the basement, and approached by a staircase leading 

 from the Bird Gallery. The room has unfortunately the disad- 

 vantages of not being well lighted, and of being intersected by 

 massive columns which interfere with the complete view of any of 

 the larger skeletons; nevertheless, the specimens will be safely 

 preserved in it until such time as better accommodation shall be 

 found for them, and visitors can, with very little difficulty, study 

 most of the important peculiarities of these gigantic and very 

 interesting members of the Animal Kingdom. 



As it is almost impracticable to preserve the skins of the larger 

 species of Whales, owing to the quantity of oil with which they are 

 saturated, the exhibition of the characters of these animals is chiefly 

 limited to their skeletons, assisted by drawings of their external 

 form. The general appearance of many of the smaller kinds is, 

 however, shown by stuffed specimens and coloured casts. 



The Order CETACEA is one of the best marked and most natural 

 of all the larger groups into which the Class Mammalia is divided. 

 In all essential characters, by which Mammals are distinguished 

 from the other vertebrated animals, such as possessing warm blood, 

 breathing air by means of lungs, bringing forth their young alive, 

 and nourishing them for a time with milk, they agree with the 

 other members of their class ; the striking external differences being 

 all in relation to their adaptation to an entirely aquatic mode of 

 life. 



