of the pheasant tribe, grouped in thirteen cases (91-103).  The three first cases are given up to the splendid East Indian Pheasants known to Europeans generally, as peacocks.  They were brought to the west and valued for the beauty of their plumage many centuries before the Christian era, and no doubt helped to inflame the imagination of the Mediterranean merchants who dreamt of the untold wealth of the Indies.  The specimens of these birds here preserved, are fine samples of the species.  They include the iris and crested peacocks, the Japan peacock, the Thibet crossoptilon, and the Argus pheasant.  The two following cases (94, 95) of the pheasant family contain the varieties of true Asiatic pheasants; but the visitor’s attention will be immediately riveted upon the specimens of the splendid Chinese pheasant known as Reeves’ Chinese pheasant.  The plumage of this pheasant is very beautiful, the feathers of the tail measuring sometimes between five and six feet in length.  The three following cases (96-98) are filled with varieties of the pheasant from Indian climes.  In the first case are the pheasants from the Himalayan Mountains, and the pencilled variety from China.  In the third case the visitor should notice the handsome fire-backed pheasant of Sumatra, the superb pheasant, Sonnerat’s wild cock, and the cock of Java.  The two following cases (99, 100) contain the remainder of the pheasant varieties.  Amongst these the visitor will find, the horned and black-headed pheasants of India, the American turkey, the pintados of Africa and Guinea, and the pheasants from the north of Asia that live upon bulbous roots, known as the Impeyan pheasants.  The immediate successors of the pheasants, in point of order, are the Partridges, of which the collection contains three cases (101-103).  These birds inhabit both hemispheres, and specimens of the different varieties are grouped in the cases.  In the first case the visitor should notice the Currie partridge, from Nepal, the Cape and bare-necked partridges of Africa, and the sanguine pheasant; in the second case, the common European partridge and quail, the red European partridge, the Indian olive partridge, and the Andalusian quail; in the third and last partridge case, Californian and crested quails, and the Indian crowned partridge.  Next in order are the Grouse, grouped in two cases (104, 105).  In the first of these cases the visitor will notice the wood grouse of Scotland, and the ruffed and other grouse of America; in the second case, the sand-grouse of the scorching deserts.  The last case of the scraping birds is occupied by the Sheathbills, which, as the visitor will perceive, closely resemble grouse.  They are from South America; the tinamous, from the warmer parts of the Continent; and the megapodius, of Australia and the Asiatic islands.

It now remains for the visitor to notice a few of the paintings suspended in this compartment, above the wall cases.  These paintings include a copy of Klingstad’s portrait of Peter I. of Russia, three historical portraits, presented to the museum by the Rev. A. Planta, and a hunting scene by Geo. B. Weenix.