550 
ORIGINAL ARTICLES. 
The very large proportion of the class Insecta, preserved in 
drawers, and the dried specimens of Arachnida and Crustacea , simi¬ 
larly stored, are in a good state of preservation, and are more easily 
accessible for study or reference. 
The collection of Osteology is in a state of preservation, but the 
conditions of its present storage in the basement vaults detract 
greatly from its scientific use, through difficulty of access to the spe¬ 
cimens, and to the light requisite for examining them. 
The specimens of the class Mammalia , Heptilia , and Pisces, pre¬ 
served in spirits, and the specimens of invertebrate animals similarly 
preserved, have been kept by great expenditure of the antiseptic 
fluid in their present state of preservation. 
The classes of Tunicata , Acalepha , Annelida , and JEntozoa ; the 
orders Nudihranchiata , Inferobranchiata; the families Limacidce, 
Oncidiadce , and Firolidce , and most of the class Cephalopoda , are pre¬ 
served in spirits, and stored in the vaults, where they crowd so 
closely the space allotted to them, that access to the specimens not 
in the front row is difficult and hazardous, and the utility of this part 
of the zoology is greatly abridged. These specimens of invertebrate 
classes and subordinate groups are in a state of preservation suitable 
for exhibition when the galleries may be acquired. 
In the public galleries the proportion of the stuffed mammalia 
standing on the floor and attached to the wall shows only the degree 
of detriment which is inevitable from exposure with the utmost 
amount of care. The specimens of this class in the glazed wall cabi¬ 
nets are in a state of preservation ; but, being divided amongst dif¬ 
ferent rooms and compartments, the purpose of serial exhibition of 
the class cannot be fulfilled, and they are so crowded as to cause in¬ 
convenience and loss of time to the conservator, as well as to the 
scientific examiner of particular specimens. 
The exhibited series of Birds is in a good state of preservation, and 
is arranged so as to give a serial illustration of the modifications of 
the class, and to afford facility of examination of individual spe¬ 
cimens. 
The exhibited series of Reptiles, Fishes, Invertebrate Animals, 
Nests and nidamental structures, Horns, Antlers, and the British 
Natural History are severally in a good state of preservation. 
The space respectively allotted to each class of the Zoology is 
now so filled as to lead to the necessity, often referred to in the 
reports from that department, of removing and rearranging a pro¬ 
portion of the exhibited series, in order to make room for some addi¬ 
tional specimen, the rarity or other quality of which may enforce its 
claim to public exhibition. 
The specimens of Fossil Remains exhibited and in store are in a 
good state of preservation. The exhibited specimens are instruc¬ 
tively arranged, and, in most instances, of easy access for scientific 
examination and comparison. Those which are stored in drawers, 
