FLOOR.] NORTHERN ZOOLOGICAL GALLERY. 
17 
gelatinous nests of the Esculent Swallow ; and that of the San Gero- 
nimo Swallow, which is a long pendulous tube formed entirely of the 
seed of a plant, secured together by the saliva of the bird ; the hollow 
for the eggs is at the top, inside the tube ; the bird has placed a false 
entrance on the side to deceive its enemies. Various nests of Hum- 
ming Birds, Honeyeaters, Tailor Bird and Lyre-tailed Menura, are 
also shown. The Table Cases 1-8 contain specimens illustrative of 
the various changes of Insects, their nests and structures ; the cocoon 
of the gigantic Goliath Beetle of Western Africa, the clay nests of 
various species of White Ants, the various Vegetable Galls, and a series 
of the nests of Spiders ; among these the nests of the Trap-door Spider, 
and a remarkable flat web, constructed by an Australian species, are 
shown here. On the walls are suspended some of the larger speci- 
mens of Reptiles. 
SECOND EOOM. 
The Wall Cases contain the stuffed exotic Reptiles and 
Batrachia ; in the Table Cases are contained the hard parts of 
the Radiated Animals, including the Sea-Eggs, Sea-Stars, and 
Encrinites. 
The Wall Cases 1-8 contain the Lizards ; exemplified by the Moni- 
tors or Varanus of Africa, India, and Australia ; the Heloderms of 
Mexico, which have grooves in the back of the teeth like the poison-fangs 
of serpents ; the Safeguards, large lizards of the tropical parts of 
America. The Tuatera ( J?a«ma), the largest reptile of New Zealand, 
nearly extinct. The Seines (Case 5), generally small, and polished: 
some have distinct and strong legs, and others only traces of them ; 
in the Blind Worms the bones of the legs are hid under the skin. 
Case 6, 7. The Guanas, many of which are highly esteemed as food, 
are natives of America, and, like the Chameleons, have the power 
of changing their colour with great quickness ; the large lizarda 
from the Galapogos Islands, one of which feeds on sea-weeds ; the- 
diminutive Dragons of India, with the skin of their sides expanded 
upon long slender ribs, in the form of wings, which spread out and 
support the creatures as they leap from branch to branch. In Case 8 
is the Moloch of Australia, covered with large spines. The Chlamy- 
dosaurus, or frilled Lizard of North Australia, with a large folded frill 
round its'neck, lil^e a Queen Elizabeth's ruff, which it can elevate when 
excited. The Chameleons of Africa and India, celebrated for the rapidity 
with which they change their colours ; they feed on insects, which 
they catch by protruding their long tongue ; only a small part of the 
eye is visible, the rest being covered with skin; the eyes move inde- 
pendently of each other. 
Cases 9-13. Snakes or Serpents. Case 9. The Poisonous 
Serpents, such as the Rattle-snakes of the New World, which have a 
rattle at the end of the tail ; this rattle is formed of a series of hard 
horny joints, fitting loosely one into another, which the animal can 
shake at pleasure ; the Vipers, such as the Adder, the only venomous 
reptile of the British Islands ; the Puff-adders of Africa, so named 
c 
