The collection of British birds includes the Birds of Prey, as the hawks; the eagles; and the owls:—­the Perching Birds, as the swallows; kingfishers; thrushes; butcher birds; rollers; and wagtails:—­the Scraping Birds, as pheasants; pigeons; quails; partridges; and guinea-fowls:—­the Wading Birds, including the woodcock; snipes; herons; sandpipers; storks; &c.:—­and the Web-footed Birds, including swans; ducks, and sea ducks; grebes; divers; auks; petrels; gulls; gannets; cormorants; &c.  The eggs of the birds are in a table case (1) and arranged like the birds.

The British reptiles are all collected in the upper part of one case, including toads; frogs; and lizards.

The British fish occupy the remainder of the wall cases.  These include perch; bream; the john-dory; carp; barbel; salmon; pike; trout; sturgeon; the shark; thornback; lamprey; turbot; plaice; sole; flounder; cod; haddock; &c.

Insects and shells.

Three tables (2-4) are devoted to insects with jaws; the insects that are furnished with a proboscis; and a collection of British Crustacea, including lobsters; crabs; woodlice; shrimps; &c.  On the table upon which the Insects with Jaws are spread, the visitor will notice many household torments, including beetles; crickets; earwigs, bees; and wasps:  and in the general collection, ants; grasshoppers; cockroaches; dragon-flies; &c.  The Insects with a proboscis include some beautiful butterflies with their painted wings; gnats; and, to the horror of many female visitors, bugs.

The three next tables are covered with specimens of the shells of British mollusca, or soft-bodied animals.  Here are the shells of snails, cockles, mussels, oysters, &c.

The collection closes with a table case (8) which is covered with specimens of those animals called by Cuvier radiated creatures, or creatures whose nervous force is concentrated in a central point whence it radiates, as in the starfish; sea eggs, &c; corals; sea pens; corallines, &c.

Having made this rapid survey of the animal life of Great Britain from its highest to its lowest developments, the visitor should again resume his journey westward, to the fourth room of the gallery, in which the collection of

FISHES

begins.  Here the Osseous or bony fishes are distributed in and on the top of the wall cases.  While taking a general glance at the arrangement of the room, the visitor will at once be struck by the specimens of Sword fish—­especially by the Indian flying sword fish, which are placed on the top of the wall cases on account of their length—­and some of the pikes or swords of these fish, one of which, it is asserted, was driven, by the fish to which it belonged, into the hull of a stout oak ship.  On the top of one of the cases the visitor should notice also the remarkable large head, from Mexico, with a long dorsal ray.