FLOOR.] 
NOETHERN ZOOLOGICAL GALLERY. 
15 
illustrative of the various changes of Insects, their nests and struc- 
tures ; the cocoon of the gigantic Goliath Beetle of Western Africa, 
the clay nests of various species of White Ants, and the various Vege- 
table Galls, are shown here. The Cases contain a collection of the 
nests of the different Hymenoptera: some of the nests prepared by the 
wasps are formed of clay, while others are of a kind of paper from 
vegetable substances. Specimens of the various insect fabricators of 
these structures are attached, when possible, to the nests. On the 
walls are suspended some of the larger specimens of Keptiles. 
SECOND BOOM. 
The Wall Cases contain the stuffed exotic Reptiles and 
Batrachia ; in the Table Cases are contained the hard parts of 
the Radiated Animals, including the Sea-Eggs, Sea-Stars, and 
Encrinites. 
The Wall Cases 1-10 contain the Lizards ; as the Monitors 
of Africa and India, venerated by the natives, who believe that 
they give notice of the approach of Crocodiles and Alligators, and 
hence their name ; the Heloderms of Mexico, which have grooves in 
the back of the teeth like the poison-fangs of serpents ; the Safeguards, 
large lizards of the tropical parts of America. The Seines, generally 
small, and polished : some have distinct and strong legs, and others 
only traces of them; in the Blind Worms the bones of the legs are 
hid under the skin. Cases 8, 9. The Geckos, or Night Lizards, which 
can walk up glass, and run with facility, back downwards, on the 
ceiling of a room, like flies. The Guanas, many of which are highly 
esteemed as food, are natives of America, and, like the Chameleons, 
have the power of changing their colour with great quickness. In 
Case 10 is the Moloch of King George's Sound, covered with large 
spines, which serve for its defence ; the Dragons of India, with the 
skin of their sides expanded upon long slender ribs, in the form of 
wings, which spread out and support the creatures as they leap from 
branch to branch. The Chlamydosaurus, or frilled Lizard of North 
Australia, with a large folded frill round its neck, like a Queen Eliza- 
beth's ruff, which it can elevate when excited. The Chameleons of 
Africa and India, celebrated for the rapidity with which they change 
their colours ; they feed on insects, which they catch by protruding 
their long tongues ; only a small part of the eye is visible, the rest 
being covered with skin; the eyes move independently of each other. 
Cases 11-17. Snakes or Serpents. Case 11. The Poisonous 
Serpents, such as the Rattle-snakes of the New World, which have a 
rattle at the end of the tail ; this rattle is formed of a series of hard 
horny joints, fitting loosely one into another, which the animal can 
shake at pleasure ; the Vipers, such as the Adder, the only venomous 
reptile of the British Islands ; the Puff-adders of Africa, so named 
from their power of inflating their bodies wlien irritated. Cases 11- 
17. The Colubrine Snakes, such as the Sea-snakes found on the seas 
of Asia and Australia ; many of them have poison -fongs. The Boas, 
the only snakes with rudiments of legs ; they are not venomous ; they 
