ssary.

Plate V. Arrangements of vertebrates in Zoological Room.

The suggestion was to furnish cases of a certain size, one or more of
which was to be devoted to each order of animals. Taking birds (for
convenience) as the standpoint, we were to place on the ground line
"local" birds, male and female, with nest and young, and eggs, mounted
with appropriate accessories, in the most complete and artistic
manner. This division taking up 3 ft. 6 in. in height out of a
possible 8 ft, leaving 4 ft. 6 in. to be disposed of thus--another
division for "British" birds which have never been found in the
locality.

These "British" were to be in pairs, but not very well mounted, and
without nests and young. Above these, again, another line, exhibiting
a few of the most striking typical foreign birds. These "Foreign"
birds were not to be well mounted, but plain "stuffed." It was claimed
for this that "each order would be distinct, and that there would be
the best opportunity of comparing the local birds with those of
Britain generally and of the whole world, while a real notion of the
life of birds would be conveyed by the full portraiture of those forms
with which the local visitors would be most familiar, making them
distinct items of knowledge in a manner scarcely ever attempted, and,
in fact, almost impossible with the usual methods of arrangement.

It is an elastic system, admitting of many variations, while retaining
the fundamental principle; and of all really effective systems it is
the least expensive, because it depends mainly upon objects
procurable in the locality. The Leicestershire species should occupy
the ground line, and come up to the front. The British species should
be set back 8 in. to 12 in, and the Foreign 15 in. to 18 in.; but
these limits might be occasionally infringed where it seems
necessary."

To give the reader an idea of how disproportionate these divisions
would be when comparing "local" with "foreign," see the diagram (Fig.
58), representing one division or "bay" marked on Plan.

Fig. 58--Projected arrangement of a biological collection by "Scheme
A."

Again, it was urged that "The three sections should be divided
horizontally, but the lines of division need not be straight. They may
be broken so as to preserve the pictorial effect, but not to destroy
the division."

Regarding this part of the contention, it is only necessary to point
out that no "pictorial effects" were possible under suc