BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY). 89 



Central Hall. 



The progress of the educational cases in the bays of the hall 

 has been steadily continued during the year. One side of the 

 table-case in Bay VII. (east sidej, which was not previously 

 occupied, has been devoted to an exposition of the characters, 

 structure and classification of the Porifera or Sponges, 

 copiously labelled and illustrated by specimens and diagrams. 

 The series of Vegetable Morphology in Bays IX. and X. (east 

 side) has received numerous additional specimens and explana- 

 tory labels, as mentioned in the report of the keeper of 

 Botany. To the illustrations of the Anatomy of Fishes in 

 Bay V. (west side) have been added many beautiful specimens, 

 which having been incorporated with the older ones has 

 necessitated a complete re-arrangement of all the contents of 

 the case. The series illustrating the dentition of mammals in 

 Bay I. (west side), one greatly appreciated by students, and 

 which was the first portion of this division of the Museum to be 

 arranged (about ten years ago) has been thoroughly remodelled; 

 additional specimens have been inserted where required, and 

 all the old ones have been cleaned, their tablets re-papered, 

 and the labels revised and re-printed. A portion of the series 

 devoted to Bird anatomy (in Bay III.) has undergone a 

 similar process. 



A case has been added to the series of illustrations of 

 general Natural History in the middle of the Hall. Like 

 that of th«i Rufts, near which it is placed, it shows the life- 

 history, as regards the seasonal changes of plumage in both 

 sexes, of one species of bird, the common Wild Duck. There 

 are twenty five individual specimens in the case, all mounted 

 with the highest artistic skill, but no less than this number 

 is required to show the remarkable modifications of plumage, 

 often described in ornithological books, but difficult to realise 

 without the assistance of the vivid ocular demonstration 

 aff'orded by this series accompanied by the explanatory labels. 



0.125. 



