TYPES OF MAMMALS. 
19 
any branch of natural history. The space being limited, the 
number of specimens is necessarily restricted, probably to the 
advantage of the student, at all events in the earlier part 
of his career. In examining this collection the visitor should 
follow each case in the usual order of reading a book, from 
left to right, and should carefully study all the printed 
explanatory labels, to which the specimens are intended to 
serve as illustrations. 
The bays on the west side (left-hand on entering the hall) are 
devoted to the Yertebrated Animals, or those possessing a 
" backbone." In Nos. 1. and 11. are shown the characters of 
the Mammalian modifications of this type. The wall-cases of 
No. I. contains specimens showing the bony framework (internal 
skeleton) of Mammals. 
In the first case (south side of the recess) will be seen a Bay I. 
complete skeleton of a good example of the class — a large ^ammals°^ 
monkey, with all the bones separated, laid out on a tablet, and 
their names affixed to them. Below is a skeleton of the 
same animal articulated, or with the bones in their natural 
relation to each other, and also named. By examining these 
two specimens a fair idea may be obtained of the general frame- 
work of the body of animals of this class. In other parts of the 
case are placed examples of modifications of the skeleton to ' 
suit different conditions of life. 
1. Man, showing a skeleton adapted for the upright 
position. 
2. A Bat, or flying mammal, in which, by the great elonga- 
tion of the fingers, the fore-limbs are converted into wings 
( fig. 1), supporting a web of skin stretched between them. 
3. A Sloth, in which tlie ends of all the limbs are reduced to 
mere hooks, by whose aid the creature hangs back-downwards 
from the boughs of the trees among wliich it passes its entire 
■xistence. 
•4. The Baboon serves as an example of an animal walking 
"U all four limbs in the "plantigrade" position, i.e., with the 
whole of the palms of the hands and soles of the feet applied to 
ih<^ ground. 
;"). A small species of Antelope shows the characteristic form 
"fa running animal, in which the limbs perform no office but 
c 2 
