Report of a Journey Around the World. iii 



these doors can be folded back making one of the three halls as 

 occasion may require. Several scientific congresses have been 

 held here where this arrangement proved most convenient. 



The hall on the west (Fig. 97) is devoted to conferences, 

 lecflures and other reunions. Its walls are paneled : the caissons 

 of the ceiling, richly decorated, are adorned with six paintings, 

 by M. Hippolyte L,ucas, of scenes relating to the sea ; the smaller 

 lateral panels have designs of marine life fitting in well with the 

 general decoration. The wall at the end of the hall is nearly 

 covered with a canvas by M. Monchablon, representing the favorite 

 yacht on a deep blue sea. The windows are provided with both 

 white and black curtains to admit or obscure light as may be 

 required for lantern projecftions, and for this purpose an electric 

 current is furnished by a transformer using the public alternating 

 current and delivering go-ioo amperes under 1 10-120 volts. 



The eastern hall ( Fig. 95 ) is occupied by zoological specimens, 

 especially those brought back by the Prince on his many expedi- 

 tions : these have been studied by specialists and have yielded 

 such information as they may to science. Here are fish from the 

 depths; one, a Pscjidotriaeis, which is almost 3 m. long, was cap- 

 tured b}^ palancre nearly 1500 m. down; other fish have been 

 brought up from a depth of 6000 m. Four campaigns in the polar 

 seas as far as 80° N. have furnished many specimens of arctic 

 fauna to compare with the inhabitants of the Mediterranean, 

 Azores, coast of Portugal, etc. The most important groups in the 

 colledlions are fishes, mollusks, crustaceans and echinoderms. 

 Among the familiar objects was a reproduction (from the Paris 

 Museum) of Mesoplodon bidens, of which we have a good skeleton 

 in the Bishop Museum, and also one of another species of this 

 southern Pacific whale.' 



Not of less interest are the instruments used in this explor- 

 ation of the sea. A fine series of diapositives explains still farther 

 the work of the explorers. Labels are generally in French, German 

 and English, -and sufficienth' full to give much information to the 

 student, if too long to be read to any extent by the casual visitor. 



Ascending to the first floor we find another square hall from 

 which open others, as on the floor below, but here the ceiling rises 



'See Occasional Papers, Vol. I, Director's Annual Report for 1891, a 

 figure of J/, grayi. [259] 



