How to See the British Museum in Four Visits | Page 5

(12-18). Herein
the visitor should particularly notice the curious spider monkeys, from
Brazil and Bolivia: the negro monkey; the apes, with large eyes, like
those of the owl, called night apes; the howlers, so called from the
incessant howling they maintain at night in their native forests; the
quaint marmozettes and handsome silky monkeys; and the Jew
monkeys. The next two cases contain specimens of the lemurs, more
familiarly known as Madagascar monkies. Of these the flying lemur is
the most remarkable species. Specimens of this species are grouped in
the lower part of the cases; they are from the Indian Archipelago; and
in the texture of their skin and the loose and light way in which it
connects their limbs, they resemble bats. They nurse their young by
forming a kind of couch with their body suspended downwards from
the branches of a tree.
It now remains for the visitor to direct his attention to the fine
collection of
RAPACIOUS ANIMALS,
ranged in thirty-two distinct wall-cases in this room. The first tribe,
taking the cases in their order of succession, to which the visitor's
attention will be attracted on passing from the cases of lemurs, is
THE CAT TRIBE.
The animals which he will find grouped in the first seven cases (21-27)
are properly Cats. Here is the South African lion, the fine black leopard,
which is pointed out to visitors as a beast that killed its keeper; the
lynxes of Spain, Sardinia, and America; the wild cats of Europe; the
curious booted-cat, imported from the Cape of Good Hope; the
American ocelots; and the Asiatic and African chaus. These animals are
picturesquely grouped in seven cases. In the next case, in order of
succession (28), are the hyaenas of South Africa and Egypt. Here are
the spotted hyaena, with its young; and the striped hyaena. The three
following cases are filled with varieties of the civet family (esteemed
for the strong scent which some of them, as the African cibet and the

Chinese and Indian zibet, yield), including the hyaena civet from the
Cape of Good Hope: genets and ichneumons, which will be found on
the lower shelves; and the Mexican house-marten. The five following
cases are filled with the varieties of
THE DOG FAMILY.
Here the sporting visitor may amuse himself by examining the points of
the Dogs of the four quarters of the globe. Here are the well-known
Newfoundland dog, the wild dogs of different climates, the four-toed
hunting dog of Abyssinia and South Africa, the Cape of Good Hope
dog, with its long ears; the varieties of fox and wolf; all expressing
great activity and extraordinary cunning. Ladies will be pleased to
notice a lap-dog almost hidden by his long hair, placed under a
particular glass-case: this exclusive little aristocrat is from Mexico.
In the next case to which the visitor will direct his attention (38) are
grouped the varieties of the Mustelina, or Martens, of America and
Europe. These lesser specimens of the cat tribe, include the weasels of
Himalaya, Mexico, and Siberia; the American and European polecats:
the lesser otters, from the north of America and Europe; and the curious
animal known as the false sable of America. It is amusing to notice the
sameness of expression--that of cunning--shown in the heads of every
specimen of the cat tribe. The next case (39) introduces the visitor to
those mammalia which are included in
THE BEAR TRIBE.
This tribe includes the Racoons, Otters, Badgers, Skunks, Gluttons, and
Bears. The case to which the visitor's attention is now directed,
contains the varieties of the glutton family--the Chinese musk weasel;
the European and North American badgers; the Javan stinkard, and the
American skunks and conepats.
The next case (40) is devoted to the otter family. These ingenious
animals are found in the four quarters of the world. Here are the
common European otter; the otters of Java and India; the clawless
African otter, from the Cape of Good Hope; and the sea and muffled
otters, from America. Next to these interesting animals, are some of the
bears, including the savage Arctic white bear, the Malay bear, and the
Indian sloth bear. Next to these bears, the racoons are grouped, and
they close the collection illustrative of the bear tribe. In the case
following those which contain the racoons is one (43) in which the

varieties of
THE MOLE TRIBE
are arranged. These include Moles from the four quarters of the world.
There are the North American marsh moles and long-tailed star-nosed
moles; the golden moles, from the Cape of Good Hope; the varieties of
the shrew-mouse, including the remarkable blue shrew-mouse of India,
the African elephant shrew, and the Russian musk shrew; the Javan
insectivorous squirrel; and a curious variety of hedgehogs, from
opposite quarters of the globe.