Vl. PREFACE. 



collected by the later expeditions, are not yet added to 

 the public parts of the collections. I have to thank 

 Baron Cuvier, M. F. Cuvier, and M. Dumeril for their 

 kindness in permitting me to examine these subjects, and 

 more especially the former, whose attention to me on each 

 of my visits to Paris, has been highly flattering to my feel- 

 ings. Besides the national Museum at Paris, by the kind- 

 ness of M. de Blainville, I have been enabled to examine the 

 Museum of the Ecole de Medicine, containing several curious 

 Reptiles, especially some from California. 



The Royal Collection at Berlin having been recently 

 re -arranged, and the Royal Museum of Leyden and the 

 Museum of the Senckenbergers Society of Francfort having 

 been formed within these few jears, the greater part of the 

 specimens are quite fresh and in the most perfect condition, 

 and their history is generally known and accurately marked 

 upon them. These museums are the more valuable, as each 

 of them is peculiar for having the most complete collec- 

 tions from certain parts of the world. That of Berlin 

 excels in those of Buchara, of Mexico, and of the Brasils ; 

 while the Leyden Museum is richest in the productions of 

 the Dutch colonies, as the Islands of the Indian Archipelago, 

 the Cape, and Surinam. That of Francfort contains 

 the most complete collections of the animals of Egypt 

 and the rest of Northern Africa that was ever brought 

 together, having been entirely formed by the exertions 

 of Dr. Riippell, during his travels in those countries, and 

 extended by specimens received from other museums in 

 exchange for his duplicates ; yet this monument of the 

 industry of an individual must rank very high amongst the 

 museums of Europe. After having laid before the scientific 

 pubhc the novelties which he has discovered. Dr. Riippell 

 has again left Europe (at his own cost) to extend still 

 further the empire of science. 



