First Floor.

Whale-Room.Approached by a staircase, leading down from the last (or western-most) of the passages which connect the Bird-gallery with the Coral-gallery, is a separate room in which are placed the specimens of Whales and their relatives. For these, on account of their large size, no other place could be found in the Museum; but the room has, unfortunately, the disadvantage of being too small to display such large animals to full advantage. It is also intersected by columns, which interfere with the complete view of the larger specimens.As it is almost impracticable to preserve the skins of the larger species of Whales, owing to the oil with which they are saturated, the exhibition of the characters of these animals is carried out by means of their skeletons and artificial models of one side of the body. Complete models, which are much better than actual skins, of many of the smaller kinds, are shown. A general account of the structure and classification of theCetacea, as Whales are technically termed, with reference to those exhibited in this gallery, will be found in a Special Guide.16Fresh-water Dolphins.Narwhal.On the left side of the entrance is a case containing a stuffed specimen, a skeleton, and several skulls of the Susu, or Fresh-water Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) of the rivers of India, and also of the Dolphins of the Rio de la Plata (Pontoporia blainvillei) and of the River Amazon (Inia geoffroyensis). Among the specimens fronting the visitor as he enters the room, one of the most interesting, on account of its remarkable dentition, is the Narwhal, or Sea-Unicorn. It has only two teeth, which lie horizontally in the upper jaw. In the female both remain permanently concealed within the bone of the jaw, so that this sex is practically toothless; but in the male, while the right tooth remains similarly concealed and rudimentary (as shown in the specimen, by removal of part of the bone which covered it), the left is immensely developed, attaining a length equal to that of half the entire animal, and projecting horizontally from the head in the form of a long, straight, tapering and pointed tusk, spirally grooved on the surface. In rare cases, as in the skull exhibited near the skeleton, both teeth are fully developed, and it is noticeable that in such specimens the direction of the spiral is the same in both tusks.Sperm-Whale.To the right of the entrance is placed a specimen of the bony framework of one of the most colossal of animals, the Cachalot, or Sperm-Whale (Physeter macrocephalus),fig. 32, prepared from an old male cast ashore near Thurso, on the north coast of Scotland, in July, 1863, on the estate of Captain D. Macdonald, R.E., by whom it was presented to the Museum. Upon one side of this skeleton has been built the model of the external form of the animal. The Sperm-Whale is the principal source of supply of sperm-oil and spermaceti: the former being obtained by boiling the fat or blubber lying beneath the skin over the whole body. The latter, in a liquid state at the ordinary temperature of the living animal, is contained in cells which fill the immense cavity on the top of the skull. This Whale, which feeds chiefly on Cephalopods (Squids and Cuttle-fishes), but also on Fishes, is distributedthroughout the warm and temperate regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and sometimes enters British waters.In order to render this skeleton more instructive, the names have been attached to the principal bones, thus enabling the visitor to trace at a glance the extraordinary modification from the normal mammalian form the huge skull of this species has undergone.Fig. 32.—An Old Male Sperm-Whale or Cachalot.Skeleton and outline of animal:b, nostril or blowhole;p, rudimentary pelvic bone. Length of specimen 54 feet.Whalebone Whales.Most of the largest Cetacea belong to the group called “Whalebone Whales,” in which a series of horny plates termed “whalebone” grow from the palate in place of teeth, and serve to strain the water taken into the mouth from the small marine animals on which these Whales subsist. A representative of this group is the skeleton of the Common Rorqual or Fin-Whale (Balænoptera musculus) in the south-west portion of the room. This Whale, which is sixty-eight feet long, was captured in 1882 in the Moray Firth, Scotland. The flukes of the tail and the back-fin were preserved with the skeleton and are placed above the wall-case behind; the small pelvic bones, and a rudimentary nodule representing the femur or thigh-bone, the only trace of the hind leg ofthis gigantic animal, are also shown. The external form is modelled in plaster. In front is a skeleton and half-model of the Black or North Atlantic Right-Whale (Balæna glacialisorbiscayensis). Below this skeleton is placed a lower jaw of the Greenland Right-Whale (Balæna mysticetus), the species which formerly yielded most of the “whalebone” of commerce, and also a miniature wooden model of the entire animal, on the scale of one inch to the foot.Remains of extinct Cetaceans—notably the solid bony beaks of the skulls of Beaked Whales (Ziphiidæ) from the Red Crag of the east coast of England—are placed in this gallery. A special table-case, near the Sperm-Whale, shows the curious ear-bones of various Cetaceans, both recent and fossil. These bones are perfectly sufficient for the identification of the kind of Whale from which they were taken. In a case on the opposite side of the gallery is displayed the horny wart, termed by sailors the “bonnet,” found on the nose of the Black Right-Whale.First Floor.The upper floors of the wings of the Museum consist merely of single galleries extending along the whole front of the building; for the galleries which run backwards on the ground floor form only a single storey.British Museum (Natural History).First Floor.Second Floor.Lower Mammal Gallery.The Lower Mammal-Gallery is entered from the western corridor of the central hall. Together with the adjacent corridor, it contains the greater part of the exhibited series of recent Mammals, with the exception of the Cetacea, Sirenia, and Proboscidea, which are downstairs, and the orders Primates, Chiroptera, Insectivora, and Rodentia, which are in the upper gallery. As three special guides17are devoted to these galleries, a very brief notice will serve on this occasion. Both stuffed specimens and skulls and skeletons are exhibited, although the former constitute by far the greater portion of the series. A fewremains of extinct types, or plaster reproductions of the same, are introduced here and there; and photographs of living animals are hung on the walls, where will also be found some instructive series showing the modifications assumed by the teeth of certain groups. Wherever possible, the horns and antlers of the Ruminants, as well as the horns of the Rhinoceroses, are placed in juxtaposition to the animals to which they respectively belong.Fig. 33.—The Platypus or Duck-bill(Ornithorhynchus anatinus).Fig. 34.—The Yellow-bellied Pangolin(Manis tricuspis) in a characteristic attitude.Ruminants, etc.The series commences on the right side of the gallery with the lowest forms. Down the middle is a row of large Mammals, comprising various Deer, Seals, and Rhinoceroses. On the right of the entrance a small case contains the Australian Platypus or Duck-bill (fig. 33) and the Echidnas of Australia and New Guinea, which lay eggs, and are the lowest of all living Mammals. In the adjacent bay are the Marsupials, such as Kangaroos, Phalangers, or so-called Opossums, Wombats, and Bandicoots of Australasia, and the true Opossums of America. The eighth and ninth bays on the left side contain the so-called Edentate Mammals, such as the South American Sloths, Ant-eaters, and Armadillos, the Scaly Ant-eaters or Pangolins (fig. 34) of tropical Asia and Africa, and the African Aard-Vark or Ant-Bear. The Sea-Cows, as represented by the Dugong, the Manatee, and the recently extinct Rhytina of Bering Island, are shown in the Geological Department. In the second bay are the Pigs and Hippopotamuses; in the third the Camels, and near by theChevrotains, or Mouse-Deer. Following these are the Deer (Cervidæ), many of which, as already stated, are placed in the middle line of the gallery. Properly speaking, the Giraffes andtheir recent and extinct allies, the former represented by the Okapi of Central Africa (fig. 14, p. 41), should come here; but, as already mentioned, it has been found convenient to remove the Giraffe group into the east corridor of the central hall. In one of the cases in the bays stands the Prongbuck or Pronghorn Antelope (fig. 35), the sole living representative of a family characterised by the circumstance that the horns have hollow branched sheaths which are shed annually. Next in order come the Antelopes, a large number of which are placed in the corridors outside the gallery. This series, it may be remarked, is particularly fine, and, in fact, unique. At the last two bays on the right side of the gallery the visitor reaches the Goats; and in the “pavilion,” at the west end of the gallery, he comes to the Sheep, Musk-Oxen, and Oxen, of which there is a magnificent display, both as regards mounted specimens and horns. Many of the cases in the middle of the gallery andthe bays have been fitted with artificial groundwork, one of the most striking being the European Reindeer case, for which the materials were brought from Norway.Fig. 35.—Prongbuck or Pronghorn Antelope(Antilocapra americana).Continuing our survey down the left side of the gallery, the bay next the pavilion and an adjacent case in the middle line contain the Zebras, Wild Asses and the Wild Horse, among which is a specimen of the extinct Quagga. Following this are the Rhinoceroses and Tapirs, some of the former being exhibited in the middle of the gallery. Adult specimens of all the living species except the one-hornedRhinoceros sondaicusof Java are exhibited. The cut (fig. 36) shows the form of the head and the number of the horns in three members of the group.Fig. 36.—Heads of the White Rhinoceros(Rhinoceros simus, a),Black Rhinoceros(R. bicornis, b),and Great Indian Rhinoceros(R. unicornis, c).Hyraxes.In a small case by themselves are exhibited the Hyraxes, which represent a subordinal group of Ungulates. In this place should come the Elephants (Proboscidea), but it has been foundadvisable to exhibit the existing species of this group alongside their extinct relatives in the Geological Department, and in the central hall.Fig. 37.—Male and Female of the Northern Fur-Seal, or Sea-Bear(Otaria ursina).Fig. 38.—Male Elephant-Seal, or Sea-Elephant(Mirounga leonina).Next in order follow the Seals, Walruses, and Sea-Bears (fig. 37); and after these again, the land Carnivora. Among the former, particular attention may be directed to the specimens of Sea-Elephants or Elephant-Seals (fig. 38) of the SouthernSeas and the Pacific coast of California. The visitor should also notice the various smaller southern Seals, obtained during the “Discovery” Expedition, in the case in the bay. Among the land Carnivora, special interest attaches to the huge Brown Bear from Alaska, the black and white Bear-like Great Panda (fig. 39) of North-eastern China, and the case of Tigers, in which both the long-haired Manchurian and the short-coated Indian race are shown.Fig. 39.—Great Panda(Æluropus melanoleucus).Second Floor.Upper Mammal Gallery.The portion open to the public of the gallery on this floor in the western wing of the building contains such of the Mammalian orders (apart from Proboscidea, Cetacea, and Sirenia) as are not shown in the lower gallery. In the first two wall-cases on the right on entering the gallery is displayed a series of Bats, some stuffed, and others in spirit. In the third wall-case are the Insect-eating Mammals (Insectivora), such as Shrew-mice, Moles, Hedgehogs, etc. Next come the Rodents,and then the Lemurs, Monkeys, and Apes, the greater number of the last being exhibited in the large case in the middle of the gallery. Among the more striking specimens may be mentioned the series of Gorillas (fig. 40) and Chimpanzees, and the Proboscis and Snub-nosed Monkeys.Nearly all the left side of this gallery is devoted to Anthropology, that is to say, to the representation of the zoological characters of the different races of Mankind18; the series including busts, skeletons, skulls, hair, and portraits.Fig. 40.—The Gorilla(Anthropopithecus gorilla).At the west end of the portion of this gallery open to the public stands a case exhibiting many of the structural differences distinguishing the man-like Apes from Man himself;and also showing different types of human skulls and the method of measuring the same. On the adjacent screens and partitions are diagrams, photographs, and sketches illustrating hand and finger prints, and identification by means of the latter.EAST WING.Ground Floor.Fossil Collection.The ground floor of this wing consists, as on the other side of the building, of a gallery running west and east the whole length of the wing in front, of a smaller parallel gallery behind this, and leading from the latter a series of galleries running north and south. With the exception of a certain number of recent skeletons introduced for comparison, and some of the specimens of Elephants and Sirenians or Sea-Cows, the whole of this floor is occupied by the collection of the remains of animals and plants which flourished in geological periods previous to the one in which we are now living. Some of these belong to species still existing upon the earth, but the great majority are extinct. They are arranged mainly upon zoological principles, that is, the groups which are believed to have natural affinities are placed together; but within some of the great divisions thus mapped out, especially of the Invertebrata and Plants, it has been found convenient to adopt a stratigraphical or even geographical grouping, the fossils of different geological formations being kept apart, and those of the British Isles separated from those of foreign localities.This portion of the Museum is more fully described in the special Guides19than is possible in the present work.Elephants, Sea-Cows, and Extinct Mammals.The front gallery, entered from the central hall, is devoted to Elephants and Sea-Cows, both living and extinct, and to extinct and fossil Mammals of other groups. Down themiddle are placed a number of large and striking objects, of too great size to be contained in the wall-cases. The first is a nearly complete skeleton of the American Mastodon (fig. 41), an animal closely allied to modern Elephants, from which it is chiefly distinguished by the characters of its cheek-teeth. This is followed by a skeleton of the existing Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus), and the mounted skin of a tuskless male of the same species, brought home from India by His Majesty King Edward VII., when Prince of Wales. Further down the gallery is the skull of the extinctE. ganesa—remarkable for the immense length of its tusks—from the Siwalik Hills of India; and another of the Mammoth (E. primigenius), with huge curved tusks, in a perfect state of preservation, found in the Brick-earth at Ilford, Essex.20Then follow skeletons of the great extinct Irish Deer (Cervus giganteus), male and female, the former distinguished by its magnificent spreading antlers, resembling those of a Fallow Deer on a large scale.Fig. 41.—Skeleton of the American Mastodon(Mastodon americanus). Greatly reduced.The next central case is occupied by the skulls and portions of jaws of a remarkable horned hoofed quadruped,Arsinoïtherium(fig. 42), from the Upper Eocene of the Fayum, Egypt. It belongs to an ancient group not closely related to any living animal.Fig. 42.—SkullofArsinoïtherium zitteli, from the Upper Eocene Strata of the Fayum, Egypt. About 1/12th natural size.Equally peculiar is theToxodon(fig. 43) from the Pampas of S. America, of which a model of an entire skeleton is exhibited.Fig. 43.—Skeleton of the Toxodon(Toxodon platensis).From the Pampas Formation of Argentina. About 1/18th natural size.Near by is placed a model of a skeleton of theDinoceras(fig. 44), one of the most remarkable of the many wonderful forms of animal life discovered in the Tertiary beds of the western portion of the United States of America. This animal combines in some respects the characters of a Rhinoceros withthose of an Elephant, and has others altogether special to itself. The group to which it belonged became extinct in the Oligocene, or Middle Tertiary, period, without leaving any successors.Fig. 44.—Skeleton of Dinoceras.From the Eocene of Wyoming, U.S.A. One-thirtieth natural size.Sea-Cows.Near the pavilion is a skeleton (fig. 45) of an interesting animal, the Northern Sea-Cow (Rhytina gigasorstelleri), the last resort of which was Bering Island in the North Pacific, where it was completely exterminated towards the close of the eighteenth century. In the same case is placed the skeleton of a smaller allied animal, theHalitherium, from the Oligocene ofSouth Germany. These, with their existing representatives, the Manatee and Dugong, constitute the order Sirenia, aquatic Mammals of fish-like form, presenting considerable external resemblance to Cetacea (Whales and Dolphins), but differing in many points of structure and habit. All the exhibited specimens of the group, both living and extinct, are shown in this gallery.Fossil remains of Man.The wall-cases on the south side (right on entering) contain typical series of chipped and polished flint implements of human workmanship, and also remains of Man found, under circumstances which may justify the appellation of “fossil,” in caves or Pleistocene deposits, associated with the bones of Mammals either completely or locally extinct. Then follow in systematic order the bones and teeth of the other Primates, the Carnivora, Ungulata, and Sirenia.Fig. 45.—Skeleton of the Northern Sea-Cow(Rhytina gigasorstelleri). From Bering Island. Length of specimen, 19 feet 6 inches.Elephants and Ruminants.The greater part of the north side of the gallery is devoted to the exhibition of the remains of Proboscidea (Dinotheres, Mastodons, and Elephants), as well as teeth and skulls of the two existing species of Elephants. The forerunners of the Proboscidea from the Eocene strata of Egypt, as represented byPalæomastodonandMœritherium, are of special interest. Attention may likewise be directed to the skull of the gigantic RuminantSivatherium(fig. 46), from the Siwalik deposits of NorthernIndia, an ally of the living African Okapi (p. 41), with which it is connected byHelladotheriumof the Grecian Tertiary deposits; another still more nearly allied type beingSamotherium, from the Isle of Samos, of which a skull (fig. 47) is exhibited.Fig. 46.—Skull ofSivatherium giganteum, an Extinct Ruminant from the Pliocene Deposits of the Siwalik Hills, India. About 1/13th natural size.Edentates.In the “pavilion,” or large room at the end of the gallery, are skeletons and bones of the members of the order Edentata, mostly from South America, including fine specimens of the great Ground-Sloths, the largest of which, theMegatherium, is shown in the act of rearing itself on its hind-legs and powerful tail to seize and tear down the branches of a tree in order to feed upon the leaves. That this was the habit of this huge animal is clearly indicated by the structure of its bones and teeth. The mounted specimen is not an actual skeleton, but is composed of plaster-casts of the real bones, most of which are shown in the wall-case at the north side of the room. Of theMylodon, a smaller but nearly allied animal, an almost perfect skeleton is exhibited in a glass case near theMegatherium. Near by is a portion of the skin of a closely similar animal (Grypotherium listai), from a cave in Patagonia, showing the hair, and also the nodules of bone embedded in the hide.Marsupials.Not far off is shown one of the glyptodons, huge extinctArmadillo-like animals, of which the body is enclosed in a solid barrel-like bony case. As these animals far surpassed in size their diminutive existing representatives, so the gigantic Marsupials of the corresponding period in Australia (Pleistocene, or latest Tertiary), such asDiprotodonandNototherium, greatly exceeded any of the species now existing on that continent; ofDiprotodona complete skeleton is exhibited. On the other hand, all the Mammals of the earlier geological periods of which remains are known are of diminutive size, as seen in the series of jaws, teeth, etc., mostly from the Purbeck (Upper Oolite) beds of Dorset and the Stonesfield Slate (Great Oolite) of Oxfordshire, exhibited in the centre window-case on the east side of the room.Fig. 47.—Skull ofSamotherium boissieri, an Extinct Okapi-like Ruminant from the Pliocene Strata of Samos. About ⅙th natural size.Extinct Birds.The south side of this room (right on entering) is chiefly reserved for the remains of extinct Birds, including the famous Lizard-tailed Bird (Archæopteryx) of the Solenhofen beds of Bavaria (fig. 48), the oldest known member of the class. Although presenting many Reptile-like characters, it had well-developed feathers on the wings and tail, the impressions of which are beautifully preserved in the specimen. A series of skeletons of the “Moas,” orDinornithidæ, of New Zealand, birds in which no trace of a wing has been discovered, shows the diversity in size of different members of the group, somefar exceeding any existing Ostrich, while others are scarcely larger than a good-sized Turkey. Some of these remains are so recent as still to be covered with dried skin, and even feathers. Several eggs are also shown; but, large as these are, they are greatly exceeded in size by those of the Roc (Æpyornis) from Madagascar. The skull and certain other remains of a gigantic extinct bird,Phororhachos, from Patagonia are also shown in this room. These birds appear to have been allied to the existing South American Seriema.Fig. 48.—Skeleton and Impressions of the Features of the Lizard-tailed Bird(Archæopteryx macrura),from the Upper Jurassic (Lithographic Stone) of Solenhofen, Bavaria.About ¼th natural size.Fig. 49.—Skeleton of the Iguanodon(Iguanodon bernissartensis), a Biped Dinosaur from the Wealden of Belgium. About 1/80th natural size.Extinct Reptiles.The long corridor north of the fossil Mammal-gallery contains a fine assemblage of Reptilian remains. The south side is devoted to the Great Sea-Lizards (Sauropterygia and Ichthyopterygia), mostly from the Lias formation. The skeleton of an Ichthyosaur from the Lias is shown infig. 50. Skeletons of Plesiosaurians and Pliosaurians from the Oxford Clay are mounted in central cases. Ranged in the cases on the north side are remains of the gigantic Dinosaurs, which vastly exceeded in size any other land-animals. A mounted plaster cast of a complete skeleton of the Iguanodon (fig. 49), found (with many others) in the Wealden strata at Bernissart in Belgium, is exhibited in the gallery of recent Reptiles; but a large series of bones of the same reptile is shown here.Fig. 50.—Skeleton of an Ichthyosaur(Ichthyosaurus tenuirostris). From the Lias of Somersetshire. About 1/10th natural size.In the centre of this gallery is placed a large portion of the skeleton of a gigantic Dinosaur (Cetiosaurus leedsi) from the Upper Jurassic Oxford Clay near Peterborough. It is nearly allied to the North AmericanDiplodocus, of which, as mentioned on page 57, the model of a complete skeleton is exhibited in the recent Reptile Gallery. BothCetiosaurusandDiplodocusresembleBrontosaurus(fig. 51) in the extremely small size of the skull. Another central case contains an actual skull and other remains of the American Cretaceous horned DinosaurTriceratops(seepage 57), and in wall-case 8 is placed a plaster cast of the skull of the contemporaryTyrannosaurus, the largest known carnivorous Dinosaur.At the eastern end of the gallery are the Pterosauria or Ornithosauria, commonly called Pterodactyles or Flying Reptiles. Their most gigantic representatives were the species ofPteranodonfrom the Upper Cretaceous of Kansas (fig. 53). At the west end is the nearly complete skeleton ofPariasaurus(fig. 52) from the Karoo formation (Trias) of South Africa. It occurs also in Russia, and belongs to a primitive section of the Theromorphs, or Anomodonts, which include the ancestors of Mammals.Fig. 51.—Skeleton ofBrontosaurus ingens,a four-footed Dinosaur from the Jurassic formation of N. America.1/150 natural size.Fig. 52.—Skeleton of Pariasaurus.About 1/14th natural size.Extinct Fishes.Of the galleries running northwards from the Fossil Reptile gallery, the one nearest to the central hall is used for the display of the Fossil Fishes, many belonging to groups now extinct. Perhaps the most remarkable of all, and certainly most unlike existing forms, are the armoured Devonian Fishes known asCephalaspis,Pterichthys(fig. 54), etc. The well-preserved fishes from the Chalk are especially noteworthy, and a specimen ofPortheusin a central case, 14 feet in length, is one of the largest bony fishes known.Fig. 53.—A Giant Pterodactyle(Pteranodon occidentalis)from the Cretaceous of Kansas.(Original span about 18 feet.) Compare the wing, which is supported by the outermost finger, with that of the Bat in Fig. 8.Extinct Invertebrates and Plants.The next gallery contains the Cephalopods, a group of Molluscs abounding in extinct species, of which the Belemnites, Turrilites (fig. 55), and Ammonites (fig. 56) are some of the best-known. The form and structure of their nearest living representatives, the various species of Cuttle-fishes, Squids, Argonauts, and Nautilus (fig. 31, page 62) are illustrated by models, drawings, and specimens placed near the entrance of the gallery and along the top-line of the wall-cases. The third gallery contains the remaining Mollusca, with the Brachiopoda, Polyzoa, Echinoderma, Worms, and Crustacea; the fourth, the Corals, Sponges, Protozoa, and Fossil Plants. In these last two galleries most of the British specimens are placed in the table-cases, and those of foreign origin in the cases round the walls.Among numerous other groups which cannot be mentioned, great interest attaches to the Trilobites (fig. 57) of the Palæozoic epoch, which are related to the modern King-Crabs and also have affinity with the Scorpions.Very extensive is the collection of Fossil Plants from the Coal-Measures, among whichLepidodendronandSigillaria, as well as numerous kinds of fern-like leaves, are among the most common.Fig. 54.—Upper(A)and Lower(B)Surfaces of Pterichthys, an armoured Devonian fish.Historical Collections.The table-cases of the end gallery contain certain special collections of historical interest, either from the circumstances under which they were formed, or the manner in which they came into possession of the Museum, or from their containing a large number of type specimens described and figured in various publications. Hence it has been considered undesirable to break up and disperse these among the general collection. They include the original collection formed by William Smith, the pioneer of geology in this country, the Searles Wood collection of Crag Mollusca, the Edwards collection of Eocene Mollusca, the Davidson collection of Brachiopoda, the types of Sowerby’s “Mineral Conchology,” and lastly, but not least in interest, specimens from the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, which formed part of the nucleus of the British Museum.Fig. 55.—A Turrilite, from the Chalk.Fig. 56.—An Ammonite, from the Oölite.Fig. 57.—A Trilobite, from the Lower Cambrian of Shropshire.British Stratigraphical Collection.In the wall-cases on the west side of this gallery is exhibited a stratigraphical collection, showing a series of rock-specimens, often with their included fossil remains, representing the various geological formations of the British Isles; they are arranged in the order of their sequence in time, commencing near the entrance door with the most recent, and gradually passing down to the most ancient fossil-bearing strata. Along the top of the case is displayed a running section of all the water-formed rocks of England in the order of their succession, each bed being distinctively coloured, and named to correspond with the actual specimens placed beneath. The stratigraphical collection is followed by some illustrations of rock-formation, andcertain curious rock-structures simulating fossils. On the east side are exhibited additional specimens of marine Reptiles from the Lias and a series of footprints of Reptiles from the Trias of N. America, the New Red Sandstone of England, etc.First Floor.Gallery of Minerals.The gallery on this floor, entered from the south end of the east corridor of the hall, contains the extensive Mineral collections, a fuller description of which will be found in special guides.21Introductory Collections.Entering the gallery the visitor will find, in the first window-case on the left-hand side, a series of specimens selected and labelled to serve as an introduction to the study of Minerals. Beginning with a definition of what is meant by a Mineral, it shows how essential characters were gradually recognised, and how Minerals are distributed into kinds and classified. In the next three window-cases specimens are arranged to illustrate the characters of Minerals and the various terms used in their description.Rocks.In the remaining six window-cases on the same side of the gallery, a corresponding series of specimens illustrative of the characters and classification of Rocks is exhibited; and the eleven window-cases on the opposite side contain a collection illustrating the various kinds of Rocks.22General Collection of Minerals.In the table-cases of the gallery are exhibited specimens of every important Mineral species and variety preserved in the Museum. The cases containing this general collection are numbered from 1 to 41, and the eight panes of each case are severally distinguished by the lettersatoh. For the use of the student there is published an Index to the names of all the numerous Mineral species and varieties represented in the collection, with references to the table-cases in which the specimens are placed.23The system of classification, which includes not only ores, but all known Minerals, is not easy for the visitor to follow, and it is therefore convenient to indicate the positions in the gallery of those minerals—as, for instance, precious and ornamental stones, and metallic ores—which have an interest for all; for details, reference must be made to the Mineral Guide. Most of these Minerals occur as crystals, the forms of which can be referred to six systems of crystallisation.Fig. 58.—The Colenso Diamond, from South Africa. Natural size.Native Elements.I. In cases 1 and 2 are the native metals, as Copper, Silver, Gold, and Platinum; and non-metals, as Sulphur, Diamond, and Graphite. The large symmetrical South African “Colenso” Diamond (fig. 58), weighing 130 carats, presented by the late Professor John Ruskin, is worthy of special attention (case 1f). Models of some famous diamonds, including “The Cullinan Diamond,” the largest ever found (weight before being cut, 3025¾ carats, or about 1⅓ lb. av.) are exhibited.Sulphides.II. The next six cases contain Minerals which have mostly a metallic lustre and consist of metals in chemical combination with elements of the Sulphur or Arsenic groups.Argentite (3d) is an important Silver-ore, containing 87 per cent. of Silver and 13 of Sulphur.Blende (4b) is a valuable Zinc-ore, and contains 67 per cent. of Zinc and 33 per cent. of Sulphur.Galena (4e) is by far the most important ore of Lead (Lead 87, Sulphur 13, per cent.).Copper-glance (3e) is a common ore of Copper (Copper 80, Sulphur 20, per cent.).Cinnabar (3h) is the ore from which Mercury or Quicksilver is obtained (Mercury 86, Sulphur 14, per cent.).Pyrites (5d), one of the most common of Minerals, is a compound of Iron and Sulphur (Iron 47, Sulphur 53, per cent.).Erubescite (5e), Copper pyrites (5f), and Tetrahedrite, or Grey Copper-ore (7a), are valuable sources of Copper.

Whale-Room.

Approached by a staircase, leading down from the last (or western-most) of the passages which connect the Bird-gallery with the Coral-gallery, is a separate room in which are placed the specimens of Whales and their relatives. For these, on account of their large size, no other place could be found in the Museum; but the room has, unfortunately, the disadvantage of being too small to display such large animals to full advantage. It is also intersected by columns, which interfere with the complete view of the larger specimens.

As it is almost impracticable to preserve the skins of the larger species of Whales, owing to the oil with which they are saturated, the exhibition of the characters of these animals is carried out by means of their skeletons and artificial models of one side of the body. Complete models, which are much better than actual skins, of many of the smaller kinds, are shown. A general account of the structure and classification of theCetacea, as Whales are technically termed, with reference to those exhibited in this gallery, will be found in a Special Guide.16

Fresh-water Dolphins.

Narwhal.

On the left side of the entrance is a case containing a stuffed specimen, a skeleton, and several skulls of the Susu, or Fresh-water Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) of the rivers of India, and also of the Dolphins of the Rio de la Plata (Pontoporia blainvillei) and of the River Amazon (Inia geoffroyensis). Among the specimens fronting the visitor as he enters the room, one of the most interesting, on account of its remarkable dentition, is the Narwhal, or Sea-Unicorn. It has only two teeth, which lie horizontally in the upper jaw. In the female both remain permanently concealed within the bone of the jaw, so that this sex is practically toothless; but in the male, while the right tooth remains similarly concealed and rudimentary (as shown in the specimen, by removal of part of the bone which covered it), the left is immensely developed, attaining a length equal to that of half the entire animal, and projecting horizontally from the head in the form of a long, straight, tapering and pointed tusk, spirally grooved on the surface. In rare cases, as in the skull exhibited near the skeleton, both teeth are fully developed, and it is noticeable that in such specimens the direction of the spiral is the same in both tusks.

Sperm-Whale.

To the right of the entrance is placed a specimen of the bony framework of one of the most colossal of animals, the Cachalot, or Sperm-Whale (Physeter macrocephalus),fig. 32, prepared from an old male cast ashore near Thurso, on the north coast of Scotland, in July, 1863, on the estate of Captain D. Macdonald, R.E., by whom it was presented to the Museum. Upon one side of this skeleton has been built the model of the external form of the animal. The Sperm-Whale is the principal source of supply of sperm-oil and spermaceti: the former being obtained by boiling the fat or blubber lying beneath the skin over the whole body. The latter, in a liquid state at the ordinary temperature of the living animal, is contained in cells which fill the immense cavity on the top of the skull. This Whale, which feeds chiefly on Cephalopods (Squids and Cuttle-fishes), but also on Fishes, is distributedthroughout the warm and temperate regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and sometimes enters British waters.

In order to render this skeleton more instructive, the names have been attached to the principal bones, thus enabling the visitor to trace at a glance the extraordinary modification from the normal mammalian form the huge skull of this species has undergone.

Fig. 32.—An Old Male Sperm-Whale or Cachalot.Skeleton and outline of animal:b, nostril or blowhole;p, rudimentary pelvic bone. Length of specimen 54 feet.

Whalebone Whales.

Most of the largest Cetacea belong to the group called “Whalebone Whales,” in which a series of horny plates termed “whalebone” grow from the palate in place of teeth, and serve to strain the water taken into the mouth from the small marine animals on which these Whales subsist. A representative of this group is the skeleton of the Common Rorqual or Fin-Whale (Balænoptera musculus) in the south-west portion of the room. This Whale, which is sixty-eight feet long, was captured in 1882 in the Moray Firth, Scotland. The flukes of the tail and the back-fin were preserved with the skeleton and are placed above the wall-case behind; the small pelvic bones, and a rudimentary nodule representing the femur or thigh-bone, the only trace of the hind leg ofthis gigantic animal, are also shown. The external form is modelled in plaster. In front is a skeleton and half-model of the Black or North Atlantic Right-Whale (Balæna glacialisorbiscayensis). Below this skeleton is placed a lower jaw of the Greenland Right-Whale (Balæna mysticetus), the species which formerly yielded most of the “whalebone” of commerce, and also a miniature wooden model of the entire animal, on the scale of one inch to the foot.

Remains of extinct Cetaceans—notably the solid bony beaks of the skulls of Beaked Whales (Ziphiidæ) from the Red Crag of the east coast of England—are placed in this gallery. A special table-case, near the Sperm-Whale, shows the curious ear-bones of various Cetaceans, both recent and fossil. These bones are perfectly sufficient for the identification of the kind of Whale from which they were taken. In a case on the opposite side of the gallery is displayed the horny wart, termed by sailors the “bonnet,” found on the nose of the Black Right-Whale.

The upper floors of the wings of the Museum consist merely of single galleries extending along the whole front of the building; for the galleries which run backwards on the ground floor form only a single storey.

British Museum (Natural History).First Floor.Second Floor.

British Museum (Natural History).

First Floor.

Second Floor.

Lower Mammal Gallery.

The Lower Mammal-Gallery is entered from the western corridor of the central hall. Together with the adjacent corridor, it contains the greater part of the exhibited series of recent Mammals, with the exception of the Cetacea, Sirenia, and Proboscidea, which are downstairs, and the orders Primates, Chiroptera, Insectivora, and Rodentia, which are in the upper gallery. As three special guides17are devoted to these galleries, a very brief notice will serve on this occasion. Both stuffed specimens and skulls and skeletons are exhibited, although the former constitute by far the greater portion of the series. A fewremains of extinct types, or plaster reproductions of the same, are introduced here and there; and photographs of living animals are hung on the walls, where will also be found some instructive series showing the modifications assumed by the teeth of certain groups. Wherever possible, the horns and antlers of the Ruminants, as well as the horns of the Rhinoceroses, are placed in juxtaposition to the animals to which they respectively belong.

Fig. 33.—The Platypus or Duck-bill(Ornithorhynchus anatinus).

Fig. 34.—The Yellow-bellied Pangolin(Manis tricuspis) in a characteristic attitude.

Ruminants, etc.

The series commences on the right side of the gallery with the lowest forms. Down the middle is a row of large Mammals, comprising various Deer, Seals, and Rhinoceroses. On the right of the entrance a small case contains the Australian Platypus or Duck-bill (fig. 33) and the Echidnas of Australia and New Guinea, which lay eggs, and are the lowest of all living Mammals. In the adjacent bay are the Marsupials, such as Kangaroos, Phalangers, or so-called Opossums, Wombats, and Bandicoots of Australasia, and the true Opossums of America. The eighth and ninth bays on the left side contain the so-called Edentate Mammals, such as the South American Sloths, Ant-eaters, and Armadillos, the Scaly Ant-eaters or Pangolins (fig. 34) of tropical Asia and Africa, and the African Aard-Vark or Ant-Bear. The Sea-Cows, as represented by the Dugong, the Manatee, and the recently extinct Rhytina of Bering Island, are shown in the Geological Department. In the second bay are the Pigs and Hippopotamuses; in the third the Camels, and near by theChevrotains, or Mouse-Deer. Following these are the Deer (Cervidæ), many of which, as already stated, are placed in the middle line of the gallery. Properly speaking, the Giraffes andtheir recent and extinct allies, the former represented by the Okapi of Central Africa (fig. 14, p. 41), should come here; but, as already mentioned, it has been found convenient to remove the Giraffe group into the east corridor of the central hall. In one of the cases in the bays stands the Prongbuck or Pronghorn Antelope (fig. 35), the sole living representative of a family characterised by the circumstance that the horns have hollow branched sheaths which are shed annually. Next in order come the Antelopes, a large number of which are placed in the corridors outside the gallery. This series, it may be remarked, is particularly fine, and, in fact, unique. At the last two bays on the right side of the gallery the visitor reaches the Goats; and in the “pavilion,” at the west end of the gallery, he comes to the Sheep, Musk-Oxen, and Oxen, of which there is a magnificent display, both as regards mounted specimens and horns. Many of the cases in the middle of the gallery andthe bays have been fitted with artificial groundwork, one of the most striking being the European Reindeer case, for which the materials were brought from Norway.

Fig. 35.—Prongbuck or Pronghorn Antelope(Antilocapra americana).

Continuing our survey down the left side of the gallery, the bay next the pavilion and an adjacent case in the middle line contain the Zebras, Wild Asses and the Wild Horse, among which is a specimen of the extinct Quagga. Following this are the Rhinoceroses and Tapirs, some of the former being exhibited in the middle of the gallery. Adult specimens of all the living species except the one-hornedRhinoceros sondaicusof Java are exhibited. The cut (fig. 36) shows the form of the head and the number of the horns in three members of the group.

Fig. 36.—Heads of the White Rhinoceros(Rhinoceros simus, a),Black Rhinoceros(R. bicornis, b),and Great Indian Rhinoceros(R. unicornis, c).

Hyraxes.

In a small case by themselves are exhibited the Hyraxes, which represent a subordinal group of Ungulates. In this place should come the Elephants (Proboscidea), but it has been foundadvisable to exhibit the existing species of this group alongside their extinct relatives in the Geological Department, and in the central hall.

Fig. 37.—Male and Female of the Northern Fur-Seal, or Sea-Bear(Otaria ursina).

Fig. 38.—Male Elephant-Seal, or Sea-Elephant(Mirounga leonina).

Next in order follow the Seals, Walruses, and Sea-Bears (fig. 37); and after these again, the land Carnivora. Among the former, particular attention may be directed to the specimens of Sea-Elephants or Elephant-Seals (fig. 38) of the SouthernSeas and the Pacific coast of California. The visitor should also notice the various smaller southern Seals, obtained during the “Discovery” Expedition, in the case in the bay. Among the land Carnivora, special interest attaches to the huge Brown Bear from Alaska, the black and white Bear-like Great Panda (fig. 39) of North-eastern China, and the case of Tigers, in which both the long-haired Manchurian and the short-coated Indian race are shown.

Fig. 39.—Great Panda(Æluropus melanoleucus).

Upper Mammal Gallery.

The portion open to the public of the gallery on this floor in the western wing of the building contains such of the Mammalian orders (apart from Proboscidea, Cetacea, and Sirenia) as are not shown in the lower gallery. In the first two wall-cases on the right on entering the gallery is displayed a series of Bats, some stuffed, and others in spirit. In the third wall-case are the Insect-eating Mammals (Insectivora), such as Shrew-mice, Moles, Hedgehogs, etc. Next come the Rodents,and then the Lemurs, Monkeys, and Apes, the greater number of the last being exhibited in the large case in the middle of the gallery. Among the more striking specimens may be mentioned the series of Gorillas (fig. 40) and Chimpanzees, and the Proboscis and Snub-nosed Monkeys.

Nearly all the left side of this gallery is devoted to Anthropology, that is to say, to the representation of the zoological characters of the different races of Mankind18; the series including busts, skeletons, skulls, hair, and portraits.

Fig. 40.—The Gorilla(Anthropopithecus gorilla).

At the west end of the portion of this gallery open to the public stands a case exhibiting many of the structural differences distinguishing the man-like Apes from Man himself;and also showing different types of human skulls and the method of measuring the same. On the adjacent screens and partitions are diagrams, photographs, and sketches illustrating hand and finger prints, and identification by means of the latter.

Fossil Collection.

The ground floor of this wing consists, as on the other side of the building, of a gallery running west and east the whole length of the wing in front, of a smaller parallel gallery behind this, and leading from the latter a series of galleries running north and south. With the exception of a certain number of recent skeletons introduced for comparison, and some of the specimens of Elephants and Sirenians or Sea-Cows, the whole of this floor is occupied by the collection of the remains of animals and plants which flourished in geological periods previous to the one in which we are now living. Some of these belong to species still existing upon the earth, but the great majority are extinct. They are arranged mainly upon zoological principles, that is, the groups which are believed to have natural affinities are placed together; but within some of the great divisions thus mapped out, especially of the Invertebrata and Plants, it has been found convenient to adopt a stratigraphical or even geographical grouping, the fossils of different geological formations being kept apart, and those of the British Isles separated from those of foreign localities.

This portion of the Museum is more fully described in the special Guides19than is possible in the present work.

Elephants, Sea-Cows, and Extinct Mammals.

The front gallery, entered from the central hall, is devoted to Elephants and Sea-Cows, both living and extinct, and to extinct and fossil Mammals of other groups. Down themiddle are placed a number of large and striking objects, of too great size to be contained in the wall-cases. The first is a nearly complete skeleton of the American Mastodon (fig. 41), an animal closely allied to modern Elephants, from which it is chiefly distinguished by the characters of its cheek-teeth. This is followed by a skeleton of the existing Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus), and the mounted skin of a tuskless male of the same species, brought home from India by His Majesty King Edward VII., when Prince of Wales. Further down the gallery is the skull of the extinctE. ganesa—remarkable for the immense length of its tusks—from the Siwalik Hills of India; and another of the Mammoth (E. primigenius), with huge curved tusks, in a perfect state of preservation, found in the Brick-earth at Ilford, Essex.20Then follow skeletons of the great extinct Irish Deer (Cervus giganteus), male and female, the former distinguished by its magnificent spreading antlers, resembling those of a Fallow Deer on a large scale.

Fig. 41.—Skeleton of the American Mastodon(Mastodon americanus). Greatly reduced.

The next central case is occupied by the skulls and portions of jaws of a remarkable horned hoofed quadruped,Arsinoïtherium(fig. 42), from the Upper Eocene of the Fayum, Egypt. It belongs to an ancient group not closely related to any living animal.

Fig. 42.—SkullofArsinoïtherium zitteli, from the Upper Eocene Strata of the Fayum, Egypt. About 1/12th natural size.

Equally peculiar is theToxodon(fig. 43) from the Pampas of S. America, of which a model of an entire skeleton is exhibited.

Fig. 43.—Skeleton of the Toxodon(Toxodon platensis).From the Pampas Formation of Argentina. About 1/18th natural size.

Fig. 43.—Skeleton of the Toxodon(Toxodon platensis).

From the Pampas Formation of Argentina. About 1/18th natural size.

Near by is placed a model of a skeleton of theDinoceras(fig. 44), one of the most remarkable of the many wonderful forms of animal life discovered in the Tertiary beds of the western portion of the United States of America. This animal combines in some respects the characters of a Rhinoceros withthose of an Elephant, and has others altogether special to itself. The group to which it belonged became extinct in the Oligocene, or Middle Tertiary, period, without leaving any successors.

Fig. 44.—Skeleton of Dinoceras.From the Eocene of Wyoming, U.S.A. One-thirtieth natural size.

Sea-Cows.

Near the pavilion is a skeleton (fig. 45) of an interesting animal, the Northern Sea-Cow (Rhytina gigasorstelleri), the last resort of which was Bering Island in the North Pacific, where it was completely exterminated towards the close of the eighteenth century. In the same case is placed the skeleton of a smaller allied animal, theHalitherium, from the Oligocene ofSouth Germany. These, with their existing representatives, the Manatee and Dugong, constitute the order Sirenia, aquatic Mammals of fish-like form, presenting considerable external resemblance to Cetacea (Whales and Dolphins), but differing in many points of structure and habit. All the exhibited specimens of the group, both living and extinct, are shown in this gallery.

Fossil remains of Man.

The wall-cases on the south side (right on entering) contain typical series of chipped and polished flint implements of human workmanship, and also remains of Man found, under circumstances which may justify the appellation of “fossil,” in caves or Pleistocene deposits, associated with the bones of Mammals either completely or locally extinct. Then follow in systematic order the bones and teeth of the other Primates, the Carnivora, Ungulata, and Sirenia.

Fig. 45.—Skeleton of the Northern Sea-Cow(Rhytina gigasorstelleri). From Bering Island. Length of specimen, 19 feet 6 inches.

Elephants and Ruminants.

The greater part of the north side of the gallery is devoted to the exhibition of the remains of Proboscidea (Dinotheres, Mastodons, and Elephants), as well as teeth and skulls of the two existing species of Elephants. The forerunners of the Proboscidea from the Eocene strata of Egypt, as represented byPalæomastodonandMœritherium, are of special interest. Attention may likewise be directed to the skull of the gigantic RuminantSivatherium(fig. 46), from the Siwalik deposits of NorthernIndia, an ally of the living African Okapi (p. 41), with which it is connected byHelladotheriumof the Grecian Tertiary deposits; another still more nearly allied type beingSamotherium, from the Isle of Samos, of which a skull (fig. 47) is exhibited.

Fig. 46.—Skull ofSivatherium giganteum, an Extinct Ruminant from the Pliocene Deposits of the Siwalik Hills, India. About 1/13th natural size.

Edentates.

In the “pavilion,” or large room at the end of the gallery, are skeletons and bones of the members of the order Edentata, mostly from South America, including fine specimens of the great Ground-Sloths, the largest of which, theMegatherium, is shown in the act of rearing itself on its hind-legs and powerful tail to seize and tear down the branches of a tree in order to feed upon the leaves. That this was the habit of this huge animal is clearly indicated by the structure of its bones and teeth. The mounted specimen is not an actual skeleton, but is composed of plaster-casts of the real bones, most of which are shown in the wall-case at the north side of the room. Of theMylodon, a smaller but nearly allied animal, an almost perfect skeleton is exhibited in a glass case near theMegatherium. Near by is a portion of the skin of a closely similar animal (Grypotherium listai), from a cave in Patagonia, showing the hair, and also the nodules of bone embedded in the hide.

Marsupials.

Not far off is shown one of the glyptodons, huge extinctArmadillo-like animals, of which the body is enclosed in a solid barrel-like bony case. As these animals far surpassed in size their diminutive existing representatives, so the gigantic Marsupials of the corresponding period in Australia (Pleistocene, or latest Tertiary), such asDiprotodonandNototherium, greatly exceeded any of the species now existing on that continent; ofDiprotodona complete skeleton is exhibited. On the other hand, all the Mammals of the earlier geological periods of which remains are known are of diminutive size, as seen in the series of jaws, teeth, etc., mostly from the Purbeck (Upper Oolite) beds of Dorset and the Stonesfield Slate (Great Oolite) of Oxfordshire, exhibited in the centre window-case on the east side of the room.

Fig. 47.—Skull ofSamotherium boissieri, an Extinct Okapi-like Ruminant from the Pliocene Strata of Samos. About ⅙th natural size.

Extinct Birds.

The south side of this room (right on entering) is chiefly reserved for the remains of extinct Birds, including the famous Lizard-tailed Bird (Archæopteryx) of the Solenhofen beds of Bavaria (fig. 48), the oldest known member of the class. Although presenting many Reptile-like characters, it had well-developed feathers on the wings and tail, the impressions of which are beautifully preserved in the specimen. A series of skeletons of the “Moas,” orDinornithidæ, of New Zealand, birds in which no trace of a wing has been discovered, shows the diversity in size of different members of the group, somefar exceeding any existing Ostrich, while others are scarcely larger than a good-sized Turkey. Some of these remains are so recent as still to be covered with dried skin, and even feathers. Several eggs are also shown; but, large as these are, they are greatly exceeded in size by those of the Roc (Æpyornis) from Madagascar. The skull and certain other remains of a gigantic extinct bird,Phororhachos, from Patagonia are also shown in this room. These birds appear to have been allied to the existing South American Seriema.

Fig. 48.—Skeleton and Impressions of the Features of the Lizard-tailed Bird(Archæopteryx macrura),from the Upper Jurassic (Lithographic Stone) of Solenhofen, Bavaria.About ¼th natural size.

Fig. 49.—Skeleton of the Iguanodon(Iguanodon bernissartensis), a Biped Dinosaur from the Wealden of Belgium. About 1/80th natural size.

Extinct Reptiles.

The long corridor north of the fossil Mammal-gallery contains a fine assemblage of Reptilian remains. The south side is devoted to the Great Sea-Lizards (Sauropterygia and Ichthyopterygia), mostly from the Lias formation. The skeleton of an Ichthyosaur from the Lias is shown infig. 50. Skeletons of Plesiosaurians and Pliosaurians from the Oxford Clay are mounted in central cases. Ranged in the cases on the north side are remains of the gigantic Dinosaurs, which vastly exceeded in size any other land-animals. A mounted plaster cast of a complete skeleton of the Iguanodon (fig. 49), found (with many others) in the Wealden strata at Bernissart in Belgium, is exhibited in the gallery of recent Reptiles; but a large series of bones of the same reptile is shown here.

Fig. 50.—Skeleton of an Ichthyosaur(Ichthyosaurus tenuirostris). From the Lias of Somersetshire. About 1/10th natural size.

In the centre of this gallery is placed a large portion of the skeleton of a gigantic Dinosaur (Cetiosaurus leedsi) from the Upper Jurassic Oxford Clay near Peterborough. It is nearly allied to the North AmericanDiplodocus, of which, as mentioned on page 57, the model of a complete skeleton is exhibited in the recent Reptile Gallery. BothCetiosaurusandDiplodocusresembleBrontosaurus(fig. 51) in the extremely small size of the skull. Another central case contains an actual skull and other remains of the American Cretaceous horned DinosaurTriceratops(seepage 57), and in wall-case 8 is placed a plaster cast of the skull of the contemporaryTyrannosaurus, the largest known carnivorous Dinosaur.

At the eastern end of the gallery are the Pterosauria or Ornithosauria, commonly called Pterodactyles or Flying Reptiles. Their most gigantic representatives were the species ofPteranodonfrom the Upper Cretaceous of Kansas (fig. 53). At the west end is the nearly complete skeleton ofPariasaurus(fig. 52) from the Karoo formation (Trias) of South Africa. It occurs also in Russia, and belongs to a primitive section of the Theromorphs, or Anomodonts, which include the ancestors of Mammals.

Fig. 51.—Skeleton ofBrontosaurus ingens,a four-footed Dinosaur from the Jurassic formation of N. America.1/150 natural size.

Fig. 52.—Skeleton of Pariasaurus.About 1/14th natural size.

Extinct Fishes.

Of the galleries running northwards from the Fossil Reptile gallery, the one nearest to the central hall is used for the display of the Fossil Fishes, many belonging to groups now extinct. Perhaps the most remarkable of all, and certainly most unlike existing forms, are the armoured Devonian Fishes known asCephalaspis,Pterichthys(fig. 54), etc. The well-preserved fishes from the Chalk are especially noteworthy, and a specimen ofPortheusin a central case, 14 feet in length, is one of the largest bony fishes known.

Fig. 53.—A Giant Pterodactyle(Pteranodon occidentalis)from the Cretaceous of Kansas.(Original span about 18 feet.) Compare the wing, which is supported by the outermost finger, with that of the Bat in Fig. 8.

Extinct Invertebrates and Plants.

The next gallery contains the Cephalopods, a group of Molluscs abounding in extinct species, of which the Belemnites, Turrilites (fig. 55), and Ammonites (fig. 56) are some of the best-known. The form and structure of their nearest living representatives, the various species of Cuttle-fishes, Squids, Argonauts, and Nautilus (fig. 31, page 62) are illustrated by models, drawings, and specimens placed near the entrance of the gallery and along the top-line of the wall-cases. The third gallery contains the remaining Mollusca, with the Brachiopoda, Polyzoa, Echinoderma, Worms, and Crustacea; the fourth, the Corals, Sponges, Protozoa, and Fossil Plants. In these last two galleries most of the British specimens are placed in the table-cases, and those of foreign origin in the cases round the walls.

Among numerous other groups which cannot be mentioned, great interest attaches to the Trilobites (fig. 57) of the Palæozoic epoch, which are related to the modern King-Crabs and also have affinity with the Scorpions.

Very extensive is the collection of Fossil Plants from the Coal-Measures, among whichLepidodendronandSigillaria, as well as numerous kinds of fern-like leaves, are among the most common.

Fig. 54.—Upper(A)and Lower(B)Surfaces of Pterichthys, an armoured Devonian fish.

Historical Collections.

The table-cases of the end gallery contain certain special collections of historical interest, either from the circumstances under which they were formed, or the manner in which they came into possession of the Museum, or from their containing a large number of type specimens described and figured in various publications. Hence it has been considered undesirable to break up and disperse these among the general collection. They include the original collection formed by William Smith, the pioneer of geology in this country, the Searles Wood collection of Crag Mollusca, the Edwards collection of Eocene Mollusca, the Davidson collection of Brachiopoda, the types of Sowerby’s “Mineral Conchology,” and lastly, but not least in interest, specimens from the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, which formed part of the nucleus of the British Museum.

Fig. 55.—A Turrilite, from the Chalk.

Fig. 56.—An Ammonite, from the Oölite.

Fig. 57.—A Trilobite, from the Lower Cambrian of Shropshire.

British Stratigraphical Collection.

In the wall-cases on the west side of this gallery is exhibited a stratigraphical collection, showing a series of rock-specimens, often with their included fossil remains, representing the various geological formations of the British Isles; they are arranged in the order of their sequence in time, commencing near the entrance door with the most recent, and gradually passing down to the most ancient fossil-bearing strata. Along the top of the case is displayed a running section of all the water-formed rocks of England in the order of their succession, each bed being distinctively coloured, and named to correspond with the actual specimens placed beneath. The stratigraphical collection is followed by some illustrations of rock-formation, andcertain curious rock-structures simulating fossils. On the east side are exhibited additional specimens of marine Reptiles from the Lias and a series of footprints of Reptiles from the Trias of N. America, the New Red Sandstone of England, etc.

Gallery of Minerals.

The gallery on this floor, entered from the south end of the east corridor of the hall, contains the extensive Mineral collections, a fuller description of which will be found in special guides.21

Introductory Collections.

Entering the gallery the visitor will find, in the first window-case on the left-hand side, a series of specimens selected and labelled to serve as an introduction to the study of Minerals. Beginning with a definition of what is meant by a Mineral, it shows how essential characters were gradually recognised, and how Minerals are distributed into kinds and classified. In the next three window-cases specimens are arranged to illustrate the characters of Minerals and the various terms used in their description.

Rocks.

In the remaining six window-cases on the same side of the gallery, a corresponding series of specimens illustrative of the characters and classification of Rocks is exhibited; and the eleven window-cases on the opposite side contain a collection illustrating the various kinds of Rocks.22

General Collection of Minerals.

In the table-cases of the gallery are exhibited specimens of every important Mineral species and variety preserved in the Museum. The cases containing this general collection are numbered from 1 to 41, and the eight panes of each case are severally distinguished by the lettersatoh. For the use of the student there is published an Index to the names of all the numerous Mineral species and varieties represented in the collection, with references to the table-cases in which the specimens are placed.23

The system of classification, which includes not only ores, but all known Minerals, is not easy for the visitor to follow, and it is therefore convenient to indicate the positions in the gallery of those minerals—as, for instance, precious and ornamental stones, and metallic ores—which have an interest for all; for details, reference must be made to the Mineral Guide. Most of these Minerals occur as crystals, the forms of which can be referred to six systems of crystallisation.

Fig. 58.—The Colenso Diamond, from South Africa. Natural size.

Native Elements.

I. In cases 1 and 2 are the native metals, as Copper, Silver, Gold, and Platinum; and non-metals, as Sulphur, Diamond, and Graphite. The large symmetrical South African “Colenso” Diamond (fig. 58), weighing 130 carats, presented by the late Professor John Ruskin, is worthy of special attention (case 1f). Models of some famous diamonds, including “The Cullinan Diamond,” the largest ever found (weight before being cut, 3025¾ carats, or about 1⅓ lb. av.) are exhibited.

Sulphides.

II. The next six cases contain Minerals which have mostly a metallic lustre and consist of metals in chemical combination with elements of the Sulphur or Arsenic groups.

Argentite (3d) is an important Silver-ore, containing 87 per cent. of Silver and 13 of Sulphur.

Blende (4b) is a valuable Zinc-ore, and contains 67 per cent. of Zinc and 33 per cent. of Sulphur.

Galena (4e) is by far the most important ore of Lead (Lead 87, Sulphur 13, per cent.).

Copper-glance (3e) is a common ore of Copper (Copper 80, Sulphur 20, per cent.).

Cinnabar (3h) is the ore from which Mercury or Quicksilver is obtained (Mercury 86, Sulphur 14, per cent.).

Pyrites (5d), one of the most common of Minerals, is a compound of Iron and Sulphur (Iron 47, Sulphur 53, per cent.).

Erubescite (5e), Copper pyrites (5f), and Tetrahedrite, or Grey Copper-ore (7a), are valuable sources of Copper.

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