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 South American crested goshawk; the varieties of the osprey; and the short-tailed falcon from the Cape of Good Hope.  Next after the eagles, are ranged the Kites and Buzzards (18-24).  These include the South American caracaras; the European rough-legged falcon; the European kite; the Indian colny falcon; varieties of the honey buzzard; and the North American spotted-tailed hobby.  The true falcons follow next in order of succession (24-26).  The courage of these birds is familiar to all who have read of the hunting days of old.  In the cases before the visitor, are grouped the European hobby and kestrel, and the peregrine and jet falcons.