94 



THE HUMMING BIRD. 



\ December i, 1891 



ness of their dentition, or entire want of teeth. It 

 comprises the Sloths and Anteaters, Armadilloes, 

 Pangolins, and Aard-varks, which differ considerably 

 between themselves. The West African Pangolin, 

 Mam's tricuspis, and the Aard-varks, Orycteropus 

 capensis and œthiopicus, are very remarkable species. 



In Cases 95 — 98 are exhibited the members of the 

 Order Marsupialia, a very remarkable group of 

 animals comprising the well-known Kangaroos, the 

 Bandicoots, the Tasmanian Wolf, the Phascologales, 

 the Marsupial Anteater, the Wombats, the Phalangers, 

 the Koala, and the Opossums. 



Last comes the order Monotremata consisting of 

 two families, the Echidnidœ and the Ornithorhynchidœ, 

 showing a remarkably low type of organisation, a 

 type transmitted more or less directly from some of 

 the earliest Mammalian forms. 



The Monotremes lay eggs and have pouches ; but 

 their mode of incubation is not yet satisfactorily 

 known, they are without true mammary nipples, the 

 mother's milk exuding from group of pores in the 

 skin. The males are provided with remarkable horny 

 spurs on their heels, connected with a small gland on 

 the back of the thigh, the function of which is 

 entirely unknown. The temperature of the blood is 

 lower than that of other mammals, recent observa- 

 tions having shown that that of Echidna stands 

 only at about 78 degrees, some 20 degrees lower than 

 that of man, and about 30 degrees below that of the 

 average of birds. 



They are supposed to live exclusively on ants, 

 which they catch with their long extensile tongues, 

 like the true anteaters. Their palates are covered 

 with rows of horny spines, which serve to scrape the 

 ants off the tongue when it is withdrawn into the 

 mouth. Echidnas are able, by the help of their 

 strong curved claws to bury themselves in loose soil 

 in a few minutes. 



The family contains five species, E. australis from 

 Australia, and E.novœguineœ, Bruijni, villosissima and 

 Lawesii from New Guinea ; but it is probable that 

 many more species will be discovered before long. 



The second family of the order, Ornithorhynchidœ, 

 distinguished by the extraordinary structure of the 

 muzzle, which resembles the bill of a duck, and is 

 provided with horny lamellae instead of teeth ; the 

 tail is long and broad, and the toes are webbed ; its 

 coat consists of thick, close hair without any spines. 

 The only known species is the Duck-billed Platypus, 

 Ornithorhynchus anatinus or Water Mole of the 

 colonists, which, as might be expected from its 

 structure, is entirely an aquatic animal, feeding on 

 water animals, for which it searches in the mud in the 

 same manner as a duck. It is a native of both 

 Australia and Tasmania. 



On the whole, the collection of Mammals is very 

 fine and of the greatest interest. 



MINERAL GALLERY. 



The gallery on the first floor, entered from the 

 south end of the east corridor of the hall, contains the 

 extensive Mineral collection. Entering the gallery 

 the visitor will find, in the first window-case on the 

 left hand side, a series of specimens selected and 



labelled to serve as an introduction to the study of 

 minerals. 



Beginning with a definition of what is meant by a 

 mineral, it is there shown how essential characters 

 were gradually recognised, and how minerals have 

 been distributed into kinds and classified. 



In the next three window-cases, specimens are 

 arranged to illustrate the various terms which have 

 been found useful in the description of minerals. 



Recently acquired specimens are shown for a time 

 in the fifth window-case. 



The remaining window-cases in the gallery contain 

 the collection of crystals and pseudomorphs, and are 

 intended for the special student. 



Specimens of every mineral species and variety are 

 exhibited in table-cases numbered 1 to 42. 



In Cases 1 and 2 are the native metals, as Copper, 

 Silver, Gold and Platinum, and non-metals as Sulphur, 

 Graphite and Diamond. 



The next six Cases contain minerals which have 

 mostly a metallic lustre, and consist of metals in 

 chemical combination with sulphur or arsenic, such 

 as Argentite, an important silver ore containing 

 87 per cent, of silver and 13 of sulphur, Blenda, 

 Galena, Copper-glance, Cinnabar, from which mercury 

 or quicksilver is obtained, Pyrites, Erubescite, etc. 



Common Salt is represented in Case 8. 



The next division, consisting of compounds of 

 oxygen and including most of the stony minerals, 

 begins with Cuprite, an important ore of copper, and 

 continues with different kinds of Spinel, the deep red 

 is the Spinel Ruby, the rose tinted is Balas Ruby, 

 precious stones, Magnetite, the richest and most 

 valuable of the ores of iron, Chrysoberyl, precious 

 stone, Corundum, known, when pure, as Lux-sapphire ; 

 when red it is the true Ruby, when azure it is the 

 Sapphire, while the yellow, green and purple varieties 

 are known as Topaz, Esmerald, and Amethyst. After 

 Diamond it is the most precious of stones ; Haematite 

 is a valuable ore of iron, Cassiterite or tin stone, 

 Zircon which is one of the precious stones ; one variety 

 with peculiar red tints is the Hyacinth or Jacynth 

 Quartz, which is the most common of minerals. In 

 its clear and transparent variety it is the Crystal of 

 the ancients and the rock crystal of modern times. 

 Several varieties of quartz are known as Topaz, 

 Amethyst and Quartz Cats-eye ; Jasper ; Lydian or 

 Touch stone Chalcedony ; Heliotrope or Blood stone, 

 green with red blood-like spots. 



Next follow the Plasma and Chrysoprase, green 

 stones, and the Sard as also the Sardonyx, its banded 

 variety : all of them prized by the ancients as being 

 more suited to the display of the engravers skill than 

 the harder and more precious stones. 



Then comes the Agates, the Moss-agates, the 

 Carnelian, the Opal including the precious or Noble 

 Opal, among the specimens of which is a fine suite 

 from Queensland, presented by Professor Maskelyne. 

 They are abundant in Central America. Next to it 

 are : fade, Serpentine, Topaz, Garnet, Tadeite, Mica, 

 Beryl, of which the bright green variety, Emerald, is 

 one of the most valued of precious stones, Tourmaline 

 Gypsum Borax, Turquoise, etc. 



As a supplement to the collection of simple 

 minerals, there is arranged in Cases 41 and 42, a 



