her attractions which the museum offers. Before
proceeding to examine the first order of birds which are in the first
eastern room, the visitor should glance at the historical portraits
suspended above the cases. Among them he will find a Mary Queen of
Scots, by Cornelius Jansen; a Cromwell, presented by the Protector to
Colonel Rich of the parliamentary forces, by whose great-grandson it
was bequeathed to the trustees of the museum; William Duke of
Cumberland by Morier; Zucchero's Queen Elizabeth; Sir Peter Lely's
Charles the Second; and the Queen of George the Second by Jarvis.
Having sufficiently examined these works, the visitor should at once
begin his inspection of the Raptores or

BIRDS OF PREY.

These include some splendid ornithological specimens. They are divided
into two families: those who pursue their depredations by day; and
those which wait till night cloaks their proceedings. It is almost
possible to read the special instincts of the two families in their
formation, and expression. The daring expressed in the fierce glances
of the eagles and falcons, bespeaks the fearless spoliator, in broad
daylight and in the face of an enemy; whereas the large vacant eyes of
the owls, have a cruel, coward look, that stamps the midnight
assassin.

In the first case the visitor will notice the strongbearded vulture of
the Alpine and Himalayan mountains. The next six cases (2-7) are
filled with the varieties of the Vulture, including the American,
carrion, black, and king vultures; the South African sociable vulture;
the angola vulture from Congo; and, towering above all, the great
condor of the Andes, with his immense breadth of wing. The vultures,
with their fierce and cruel aspect, are, nevertheless, cowardly birds,
and feed rather upon dead bodies than venture to kill for themselves.

Next in order, after the vultures, the visitor will find the Eagle
branch of the falcon family distributed in ten cases (8-17). This
family includes some handsome birds. Foremost amongst these the
visitor will remark the athletic golden eagle of Europe, a frequenter
of Great Britain. This bird preys upon hares and rabbits, and has been
known to plant its claws in a young lamb with success. In this
vicinity are also the Indian Pondicherry eagle, sacred to the
Brahmins; the Egyptian booted eagle; the Brazilian eagle; the South
American harpy eagle; the European Jean le Blanc eagle; the marine
eagle of the Indian Archipelago; the Sout