80 
NATURAL HISTORY, (FoSsils.) 
NORTH GALLERY 
by Major Cautley, Bengal Artillery, to whose indefatigable exertions 
science is indebted for the formation of a rich assemblage of fossil 
remains obtained in the Sewalik, or Sub-Himalayan range, situated 
between the Jumna and Sutlej rivers. For many valuable speci¬ 
mens in the series the Museum is also indebted to Dr. Falconer. 
Casts of several very interesting specimens presented by the Honour¬ 
able Court of Directors of the India Company, numerous specimens 
(including the skull of the JElephas Namadicus) presented by Charles 
Frazer, Esq., and others presented by Colonel Burney and by Major 
Baker, Bengal Engineers, have contributed to perfect the extensive 
series of mammalian remains here exhibited. The most striking 
specimen—the skull of the Elephas Ganesa —which is placed in the 
middle of the room, is the gift of the last-mentioned gentleman. 
A very interesting object is the cast of the skeleton of the Mega¬ 
therium, a genus of Edentata established by Cuvier from the only 
species known, the Megatherium Americanum of Blumenbach (Afe- 
path. Cuvieri or Cuverii of later writers); the bones from which the 
casts of the several parts were taken are preserved partly in the 
Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, and partly in cases near 
the skeleton. 
At the west end of the Room is the fossil human skeleton, embedded 
in limestone, brought from Guadaloupe, by Admiral the Hon. Sir 
Alexander Cochrane, and presented to the British Museum by the 
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. 
The Table Cases in this Room are appropriated to the remains of 
invertebrate animals. 
Case 1 contains the shells of bivalves {lamellihranchiata), belonging 
to the families Chamidce, Hippuritidce, Ostreidre, kc. 
Cases 2 and 3 contain fossil “ lamp-shells ” {Brachiopoda), arranged 
according to the geological systems in which they are found,, froni the 
tertiary to the silurian. 
Case 4 contains the fossil Sea-Urehins {Echinidce), 
Case 5 contains Corals {Zoophytk), from the oolitic, Devonian, and 
Silurian strata, including some fi»'.e examples of “ Chain-coral,” col¬ 
lected in Arctic America by Capt. Kellett’s Expedition. 
Cases 6 and 7 contain a series of fossils from the Eocene tertiary 
strata of France, or “ Paris-basin fossils.” 
Case 8 contains the original specimens figured in Brander’s Fossilia 
Hantoniensia, and other London clay shells. The Window Cases 
contain Trilobites, Crustaceans, and insects, and shells from the 
carboniferous limestone, Sicilian and American tertiaries, &c. 
The various portions of the collection of invertebrate fossils will be 
arranged (as they approach completion) in zoological and strati- 
graphical order, like the Brachiopoda, Echinidce, Ammonites, &c. 
G. R. WATERHOUSE. 
Feh. 28, 1855. 
