8 GUIDE TO THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



II. 



GENERAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE 



MUSEUM. 



On entering the Museum from College-street the visitor passes 

 directly into the large Central Hall, from whence other parts of the 

 building are approached by the grand staircase leading to the 

 upper floor, and by passages between pillars leading on the left 

 to the Australian, and on the right to the Osteological Halls, 

 and through these to the Mineral and the Ethnological Depart- 

 ments. 



The Entrance or Central Hall is a lofty room, with a mosaic 

 floor, occupying the central portion of the new building. It is 

 not devoted specially to any one subject, but contains various 

 specimens of interest. In different places on the floor are 

 skeletons and mounted skins of animals — among them, Antelopes 

 and Deer, two species of Rhinoceros, a female specimen of the 

 Wild Cattle of India, Zebras, and skeletons of the Camel and 

 Giraffe, and, in cases, mounted specimens of the Gorilla from 

 West Africa, and Orang Outang from Borneo. 



The case immediately facing the entrance contains a collection 

 of Foreign Snakes in s|)irits ; including the American Boa 

 Constrictor and the Indian Python, the Anaconda of South 

 America, the deadly Indian Cobra di Capello, and others from 

 various parts of the world. In a separate and smaller case is an 

 articulated skeleton of an Indian Python, and in another part 

 of the Hall are a few mounted skins of non-venomous snakes 

 (Pythons and Boas). 



On the large central table the most conspicuous objects are 

 casts of tlie Meyatherium giganteum of South America and of the 

 tusks of Elephas ganesa of India, a description of which will be 

 found in chapter XIY. Palaeontology. 



Passing nortliwards — that is to the left of the entrance is 



the Australian Hall, where specimens of the animals peculiar to 

 Australia are exhibited. 



