t has the appearance of a fossil
plant, but is in reality a cast of a crinoid star-fish that once
existed in great abundance. In the most eastern room of this gallery
are a few tables upon which are deposited the shells and tubes of
molluscous animals, to illustrate their changes, and the way in which
the animal adapts them to his position. The third and fourth tables
will, perhaps, interest the general visitor. Here he will find
specimens exhibiting the growth of Shells, and also how the animal
repairs any damage to its shell. Here, too, are the shells upon which
the modern cameo-cutters of Rome, work. As the visitor will perceive,
the design is engraved in relief upon the light outer layers of the
shell, leaving the darker under part exposed, as a back-ground.

The visitor's way now lies out of the northern gallery, by its eastern
door, near which he should notice a remarkable sun fish, of a bulky
and squat appearance. Having regained the first, or most northerly
room of the great eastern zoological gallery, the visitor should turn
to the south, examining the table cases of this gallery as he returns
through its spacious rooms. All the table cases of this gallery, with
the exception of a few small side tables, are covered with the vast
varieties of the

SHELLS

of molluscous or soft animals. These shells, scattered over no less
than forty-nine tables, represent the architectural capacities of the
great order of soft-bodied animals, only inferior in rank, in Cuvier's
"Animal Kingdom," to the Vertebrate animals.

Upon the first table, before which the visitor will find himself (49),
are some interesting specimens of the well-known Cuttle fish,
exhibiting its varieties, including the common cuttle fish found upon
our coasts; those which have the power of secreting a dark fluid, and
those from India, whose ink-bags furnish artists with that valuable
brown called sepia. Here, too, are the skeletons of the slender
loligos, or sea leaves, known also as sea-pens; and the crozier shell.
Upon the next six tables (48-53), proceeding southward, are the
varieties of the Oyster, the Mussel, and beautiful Mother-of-pearl
shells. But hence the visitor will probably proceed rapidly to the
south; inasmuch as the varieties of the mussel family, including the
Chinese pearl mussel and Scotch pearl mussel, the borers, the club
shell, and the cockle family, are not generally interesting; but he
will probably linger for a few moments ne