36 
BrKD GALLERY. 
of form presented by these fairy-like objects can scarcely fail 
to excite feelinc^s of admiration and wonder in all who a;aze 
upon them. 
WEST WING. 
The whole of the west wing of the building is devoted to the 
collections of recent Zoology. 
(A) Ground Floor. 
Bird Gallery. The ground floor is entered from the west side (left hand) of 
the Central Hall, near the main entrance of the building. The 
long gallery, extending the entire length of the front of the wing 
as far as the west pavilion, is assigned to the exhibited collection 
of birds, the study series of the same group being kept in 
cabinets in a room behind. 
Systematic The wall-cases contain mounted specimens of all the principal 
WaU-cas'»s species, placed in systematic order, beginning with the Bower- 
birds on the left hand on entering, and ending with the 
Ostriches on the right. 
Among the multitude of specimens exhibited in this gallery, 
which form, however, but a small proportion of the different 
kinds of birds known to inhabit the globe, only a few of the more 
striking can be mentioned here. The various types of the birds 
of prey are very fully represented: from the Condor of the 
Andes, the large Sea-Eagle of Bering Strait, and the Great 
Eagle-Owl of Europe, all of which are placed in separate cases, 
to the Dwarf Falcon in case 53, which is not much larger 
than a sparrow, and preys upon insects. Among the large group of 
perching birds, attention is drawn to the cases of Birds ol Paradise 
and Bower-Birds in the first bay on the left. In cases on the 
sixth bay on the opposite side of the gallery are placed skeletons 
of the Dodo and Solitaire, gigantic pigeons with wings too small 
for fliiiht, once inhabitants of the islands of Mauritius and 
