GROUND FLOOR. 
45 
and because of the immense space it would otherwise occupy, 
kept in cabinets in the " insect-room " on the basement floor, to 
which students can have access under the regulations which 
will be found at the end of this guide. 
Against the wall on each side of the gallery are models 
showing the injuries caused to vegetation by insects and mites ; 
also models of various forms of galls of general or scientific 
interest. 
III. A large gallery containing the collection of stuffed speci- Reptile 
mens and skeletons of Eep tiles, including Crocodiles, Lizards, ^^^^^y- 
Snakes and Tortoises. As is the case with the fishes, very 
many of the animals of this class are necessarily preserved in 
spirit, and therefore not suitable subjects for exhibition. The 
gallery contains examples of all the forms of general interest, 
for an account of which the visitor is referred to the special 
guide.* 
The middle portion of the floor of this gallery is devoted to a 
portion of the collection illustrating the nesting habits of 
British birds (see p. 40). The specimens placed here all belong 
to the order of Passeres or Perching birds. At the further end 
are fine groups showing the nests of the Eook, Hooded Crow 
and Carrion Crow. 
IV. A small gallery is called the Star-fish Gallery, from being star-fish 
specially devoted to Star-fishes and their allies — the Echino- 
DERM ATA ; these are arranged systematically in table-cases 1-6, 
and in case 7 there are specimens illustrating the anatomy 
of the skeleton, and models and figures descriptive of the 
remarkable changes undergone by these animals in the course of 
their development. As magnificent examples the visitor should 
not fail to observe in 1 D Pijcnopodia lieliantlioides, and in 2 B 
and C the fine series of Linclda, and in 2 D-P and 3 A the 
extensive collection of Pcntaccros ; in 3 E are two remarkable 
specimens of Astropecten ; in 4 C an almost complete example 
of the brittlestar {Opliiomastix annulosa) should be noticed, and 
on the tops of cases 5 and 6 are good examples of Diadcma 
and Eclimus. In a separate case on the east side of the gallery 
is Luidia savignii from Mauritius, one of the largest known 
kinds of star-fish. The most beautiful and remarkable speci- 
* ' Guide to the Reptiles and Fishes.' Price sixpence. 
