36 
WEST WING. 
tlie formation of pearls, and other special points of interest 
connected with the group. 
Special guide-books to all these galleries are in preparation. 
Cetaoea or 
Whale 
Gallery. 
Fresh-water 
Dolphins. 
Narwhal. 
Galleey oe Cetacea. 
Approached by a staircase, leading from the last (or western- 
most) of the passages which connect the bird gallery with the 
coral gallery, is a room in the basement, in which the specimens- 
of whale-like animals, for which, on account of their large size, 
no other place could be found in the portion of the Museum 
galleries already completed, are placed. The room has, un- 
fortunately, the disadvantage of being not well lighted, and 
of being intersected by massive columns, which interfere with 
the complete view of any of the larger skeletons ; nevertheless 
the specimens will be safely preserved in it, until the erection 
of the west front will afford them better accommodation, and 
visitors can, in the meantime with very little difficulty study 
most of the important peculiarities of these gigantic and very 
interesting members of the Animal Kingdom. 
As it is almost impracticable to preserve the skins of the larger 
species of whales, owing to the quantity of oil with which they 
are saturated, the exhibition of the characters of these animals is 
(l^hiefly limited to their skeletons, assisted by drawings of their 
external forms. The general appearance of many of the smaller 
kinds is, however, shown by stuffed specimens and coloured 
casts. A general account of the structure and classification of 
the Cetacea, with special reference to those exhibited in this- 
gallery, will be found at the end of the Guide to the Gallerie& 
of Mammalia.* 
On the left side of the door, on entering, near the window, is a 
case containing a scuffed specimen, skeleton, and several skulls 
of the very curious fresh-water Dolphin of the rivers of India 
(Platanista gangetica), and in the next case the peculiar Dolphin 
of the river Amazon {Inia gcoffrcnsis). Among the specimens^ 
on the same side of the room, one of the most interesting, on 
account of its remarkable dentition, is the Narwhal or Sea- 
* * Gui(]<; to the Galleries of Mammalia ' (Mammalian, Osteological and 
Oetaccan) in the Department of Zoology. Price fourpence. 
