168 Zoology. 



In the Northern Zoological Gallery, separated into five rooms, 

 were all kinds of lower animals — Sponges and Corallines in the 

 table-cases of Room I., Echinoderma, Holothurians, Star-fishes, 

 etc., in Room II., Radiated animals, Zoophytes, etc., in 

 Room III., Insects and Crustacea in Room IV., and " Annulose 

 animals " in Room V. Considerable information concerning the 

 objects in all these rooms is given, with tables of classification : 

 all this was doubtless Dr. Gray's work. 



In the " Eastern Zoological Gallery " was the collection of 

 mounted Birds, the British species being distinguished by a 

 letter " B " printed at the end of the pedestal. The account of 

 the bird-collection is also very full, with a tabular classification 

 at the end. This part of the guide was certainly written by 

 George Robert Gray. Down the Bird-Gallery were the table- 

 cases containing the Shells. 



The Mollusca were personally under the charge of the Keeper, 

 who with Mrs. Gray arranged the collection. A very full 

 description, with a table of classification, is given by Dr. J. E. 

 Gray of this portion of the collection. 



The 43rd edition of the "Synopsis," published in 1841, is 

 again a bulky little volume of nearly 400 pages, but does not 

 differ very much from the edition of 1840, though it is amplified 

 in many respects. Rooms XII.-XIII. of the upper floor have 

 now become the " Mammalia Room " and the " Mammalia Saloon." 



The Bird-Gallery was the same as I remember it when I took 

 charge of the ornithological collections in 1872, and the shell- 

 cabinets occupied the floor space, having a separate gallery 

 apportioned to them on the removal of the Natural History 

 collections to the new Museum at South Kensington. 



The British Birds and the collection of British Birds' Eggs, 

 the latter including two specimens of the egg of the Great Auk 

 (Plautus irnpennis), were at some time or other transferred to the 

 British Room in the Northern Gallery, and the eggs, which 

 were stuck down on wooden tablets and exposed to the light, 

 soon became bleached and rotten. In 1842, however, the 

 collection of eggs was exhibited in table-cases in the Bird- 

 Gallery, as we learn from the 44th edition of the " Synopsis." 

 There is nothing new to remark upon in this edition, excepting 

 that a catalogue is given of the paintings which used to hang 

 on the walls of the old Bird- Gallery at Bloomsbury. Some of 

 these portraits are extremely interesting, among them being 

 those of Sir Hans Sloane, John Ray, and others. 



