BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY). 97 



This is intended not only for an introduction to the study of 

 the class by visitors to the Museum, but also as a guide to a 

 method of arrangement which may be advantageously adopted 

 in other institutions of comparatively limited resources. 



In the same Bay a case has been constructed specially for 

 the purpose of exhibiting a series of preparations showing, in 

 a very complete manner, the stages of dentition of the Horse 

 at different ages. These specimens have been collected for 

 the purpose and presented to the Museum by Mr. Thomas B. 

 Goodall, Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 

 of Christ Church, Hants. At present 13 preparations, 

 showing the whole dentition of both sides, are in their 

 places. A few w^hich are still wanting to complete the 

 series will, it is hoped, be supplied during the coming 

 year. 



Bay III., devoted to the anatomy of Birds, has received a 

 special addition in a collection arranged to show the general 

 characters of eggs of this class, as exemplified in structure, 

 number, form, size, texture of surface and colour. In 

 Bay IV. has been placed a similar, but necessarily less 

 extensive, series of the eggs of Reptiles, in which the 

 variations are mainly limited to form and size. 



Progress has been made in the arrangement of most of the 

 other bays in the hall. The collection illustrating adaptation 

 to surrounding conditions has received several accessions, 

 including a striking series of specimens of an insect {Flatoides 

 dealbatus) from the forests of Madagascar. These insects 

 differ remarkably from each other individually, but all closely 

 resemble the particular colour of the lichen-covered bark of 

 the trees upon which they habitually rest, a circumstance 

 which seems well-calculated to afford them protection. 



A very notable addition to the botanical series, arranged on 

 the right side of the hall, is a section of a very large Welling- 

 tonia or " Big Tree" {Sequoia gigantea), which was cut down in 

 1892 near Fresno, California. It is about 15 feet in diameter, 

 and perfectly sound to the centre, showing distinctly 1,335 

 rings of annual growth, and is thus of great interest as 

 affording exact evidence as to the age of this species of tree. 

 The still larger specimens sometimes met with are almost 

 always hollow within, and hence the number of rings cannot 

 be counted. An instantaneous photograph, taken while the 

 tree was being felled, is placed near it, and shows its general 

 appearance. Its height was 276 feet. 



0.97. 



