104 
CETACEAN GALLERY. 
Until the erection of the west wing of the Museum the specimeus 
of Whale-like animals, for which, on account of their large size, no 
place can be found in the portion of the Museum galleries already 
completed, are lodged in a room, temporarily arranged for their 
reception in the basement, and approached by a staircase leading 
from the Bird Gallery. The room has unfortunately the disad- 
vantages of not being 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 such time as better accommodation shall be 
found for them, and visitors can, 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 chiefly 
limited to their skeletons, assisted by drawings of their external 
form. The general ap])earance of many of the smaller kinds is, 
however, shown by stuffed specimens and coloured casts. 
The Order Cetacea is one of the best marked and most natural 
of all the larger groups into which the Class Mammalia is divided. 
In all essential characters, by which Mammals are distinguished 
from the other vertebrated animals, such as possessing warm blood, 
breathing air by means of lungs, bringing forth their young alive, 
and nourishing them for a time with milk, they agree with the 
other members of their class; the striking external differences being 
all in relation to their adaptation to an entirely aquatic mode of 
life. 
