8 
THE ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 
[upper 
which are small-sized ; the largest is the Capybara of America. 
Amongst the more remarkable may be indicated, the trowel-tailed 
Beaver, still found in North America, but very rare in Europe ; the 
Coypu and Ondatra, whose furs are used in manufactures. Cases 
70-72. The Porcupines, formidably armed with quills. Some of 
these live among trees and have long prehensile tails. Cases 71, 72", 
The Agoutis and Pacas of the New World. Cases 73-75. The Hares, 
the fur and flesh of which are so useful to mankind. Case 76. The 
Jerboas, some of which take flying leaps ; the Peruvian Chinchilla, 
with its delicate fur; the Dormice. Cases 77-80. The Squirrels, 
with their long bushy tails, chiefly living among trees ; the Flying 
Squirrels, which can vault from tree to tree, assisted by the expansion 
of the skin of the sides. The Marmots, which pass the winter in a 
lethargic state ; the Mole Eats and Sand Moles burrow in the ground 
and feed on roots ; the Pouched Eats of North America, which have 
large cheek pouches, wherein they store their food to carry it to their 
burrows. 
On the tops of the Cases and suspended on the walls, are arranged 
the collections of Seals, of Porpoises and Dolphins, and of the Manatees 
of Jamaica and Western Africa: most of these mammalia live in the sea; 
a few in estuaries or rivers. Some of the Seals are much valued for 
their skins and for the oil derived from their fat. Among the Dolphin 
family may be noticed the curious Platanista, or long-beaked Dolphin 
of the Ganges (on the top of Case 79). 
The General Collection of Corals is exemplified by selections 
arranged in the Table Cases. Tables 1-20 contain the various kinds 
of Madrepores or Star Corals, as the Sea Mushroom ; the Erainstone ; 
the Clove Coral ; the Millepore. On the floor is a large mass of one 
of the corals which forms reefs in the sea, so dangerous to ships. 
Tables 20-31. The Barbed Corals, which generally assume the form 
of trees, as the Tree Coral ; the Eed Coral of commerce ; the Gor- 
gonia or Sea Fans; the Sea-pens, some of which emit a bright phos- 
phorescent light. 
Some of the most interesting Sponges are exhibited in upright 
cases at the top of the table-cases. What is preserved of these 
creatures, is a kind of skeleton formed by a network of siliceous fila- 
ments or spicules. The soft substance of the Sponge, which is spread 
over this skeleton, is generally lost ; or, if preserved, shrunk into a 
very thin layer or bark. Case M, over Table-Case 25, contains a 
series of the so called " Glass-rope-coral," from Japan and the Coast of 
Portugal (Hyalonema), a Sponge which emits from its bottom part a 
long bundle of siliceous fibres twisted like a rope ; with the aid of this- 
rope it retains its hold in the soft mud at the bottom of the ocean, as 
with a root. The Japanese detach this rope from the Sponge, and 
manufacture spurious specimens of natural history, examples of which 
are also exhibited. 
Case D over Table-Case 8, contains specimens of the most beautiful 
Sponges known at present (Euplectella and Meyerina). Their skeleton 
consista of a network delicate like lace, and the name " Venus Flower 
