In this room, as in the previous rooms, the vertebrated animals are
grouped in the wall cases or on the top of the cases. It is hardly
necessary to guide the visitor systematically through the intricacies
of a collection, every beast, bird, fish, and shell of which is native
to his own land. In the wall cases devoted to British vertebrate
animals he will notice, first the Carnivorous Beasts, which include
the foxes; stoats; cats; &c.:--the Glirine Beasts, including rabbits;
squirrels; hares; rats; and mice:--the Hoofed Beasts, as the fallow
deer; the stag; and the roebuck:--and the Insectivorous Beasts,
including moles; hedgehogs; &c.
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.