October 5, 190G.] 



SCIENCE. 



423 



halls with basement floor, and galleries, 

 also deriving their illumination from above. 

 The lighting generally is most serviceable, 

 for, by reason of the immense skylight 

 space, of absolutely clear glass, the narrow- 

 ness of the galleries, and the height of the 

 ceilings, no hopelessly heavy shadows are 

 cast; and, at least when the writer was 

 there, on a brilliant day, the light was 

 superabundant. As a matter of fact, 

 white shades covered the skylights and 

 helped advantageously to diffuse and di- 

 minish the light. Reflections in the flat 

 eases around the balustrades of the central 

 opening, on the galleries, were noticeable, 

 and of course annoying, but could be 

 quickly dissipated by holding a hat above 

 them. 



One of the striking features in the nat- 

 ural history exhibit is the elaborate art 

 expended upon dissected animals, the ex- 

 planation of their parts and the beauty and 

 thoroughness of many of the preparations. 

 Zoantharia, sea urchins, star-fish, insects, 

 crustaceans, worms, fish, are thus accur- 

 ately dissected, their organs named, helpful 

 addenda of elucidations and suggestions 

 appended, all clearly printed, and assisted 

 by drawings, frequently colored. These 

 preparations, as with many of the insects 

 and Crustacea, and spiders are mounted 

 dry, and others are in alcohol in flat jars, 

 the object being quite usually on blue glass 

 with red threads connecting each part with 

 its printed name, which latter appears on 

 the plate or board, which holds the speci- 

 men. The dissections of the thornback 

 ray, the torpedo, the dog-fish, the skate, 

 with developing young are superb. The 

 amphibia are similarly treated, and near 

 them is noticed a splendid exhibit of the 

 osteology of the cod. Further on in this 

 section are some absolutely unimpeachable 

 examples of the phases of bird feathering, 

 and the tract-distribution of feathers illus- 

 trating pterylography. Amongst these is 



a very succinct and forcible demonstration 

 of the terminology of the feathers of the 

 ring dove. 



Throughout this section the exceeding 

 cleverness and technical power of Mr. W. 

 Eagle Clarke, and Mr. P. H. Grimshaw are 

 in evidence. Many, and most of the diffi- 

 cult subjects, are their personal handiwork, 

 always, I believe, submitted to the approval 

 of Dr. Traquair, the director of the mu- 

 seum, who is now about to retire. 



The mollusca are also ecologically dis- 

 cussed in diagrams, selected specimens and 

 dissections. There are important groups 

 of specimens illustrating types of shells, 

 their external and internal features, old 

 and young conditions, terminology of 

 parts, the muscular impressions, in the 

 shells clearly delineated by red painting, 

 also hinges and teeth, the nature of the 

 margins of the valves, pedal, siphonal and 

 byssal openings, position of umbones, 

 terminology of the multivalvular forms; 

 ferms of shell, as dextral, sinistral, elon- 

 gate, subulate, tubular, cylindrical, ovate, 

 globose, turbinate, involute, conical, cor- 

 date, etc. ; the ornamentation, as granulate, 

 pustulate, subnodose, reticulate cancellate, 

 spinose, clathrate, costate ; colors ; varia- 

 tions of sculpture as so well shown in 

 Feet en glaber, Liguus Virginia, Helix 

 nemoralis; protection as in XenopJiora 

 conchyliopliorus (with its attached shells) ; 

 and the varying aspects of the perios- 

 tracum. 



The examples under the above heads are 

 mounted on gray cards with black centers, 

 explained by clear clean printed labels. In 

 the moUuscan biology excellent prepara- 

 tions most graphically instruct the visitor 

 in the anatomy of the common shells, and 

 some, as those of the cephalopods, merit 

 pronounced praise. The morphological 

 and embryological study is continued in 

 this hall throughout the animal kingdom. 



The specimens of fossils from Cambrian 



