British Museum (Natural History) General GuideBritish Museum (Natural History)
History
British Museum (Natural History) General Guide
British Museum (Natural History)
British Museum (Natural History) -- Guidebooks; Natural history museums -- England -- London -- Guidebooks
Near the pavilion is a skeleton (fig. 45) of an interesting animal, the
Northern Sea-Cow (_Rhytina gigas_ or _stelleri_), the last resort of
which was Bering Island in the North Pacific, where it was completely
exterminated towards the close of the eighteenth century. In the
same case is placed the skeleton of a smaller allied animal, the
_Halitherium_, from the Oligocene of South Germany. These, with their
existing representatives, the Manatee and Dugong, constitute the order
Sirenia, aquatic Mammals of fish-like form, presenting considerable
external resemblance to Cetacea (Whales and Dolphins), but differing in
many points of structure and habit. All the exhibited specimens of the
group, both living and extinct, are shown in this gallery.
[Sidenote: Fossil remains of Man.]
The wall-cases on the south side (right on entering) contain typical
series of chipped and polished flint implements of human workmanship,
and also remains of Man found, under circumstances which may justify
the appellation of “fossil,” in caves or Pleistocene deposits,
associated with the bones of Mammals either completely or locally
extinct. Then follow in systematic order the bones and teeth of the
other Primates, the Carnivora, Ungulata, and Sirenia.
[Illustration: FIG. 45.--SKELETON OF THE NORTHERN SEA-COW (_Rhytina
gigas_ or _stelleri_). From Bering Island. Length of specimen, 19 feet
6 inches.]
[Sidenote: Elephants and Ruminants.]
The greater part of the north side of the gallery is devoted to the
exhibition of the remains of Proboscidea (Dinotheres, Mastodons, and
Elephants), as well as teeth and skulls of the two existing species
of Elephants. The forerunners of the Proboscidea from the Eocene
strata of Egypt, as represented by _Palæomastodon_ and _Mœritherium_,
are of special interest. Attention may likewise be directed to the
skull of the gigantic Ruminant _Sivatherium_ (fig. 46), from the
Siwalik deposits of Northern India, an ally of the living African
Okapi (p. 41), with which it is connected by _Helladotherium_ of the
Grecian Tertiary deposits; another still more nearly allied type being
_Samotherium_, from the Isle of Samos, of which a skull (fig. 47) is
exhibited.
[Illustration: FIG. 46.--SKULL OF _Sivatherium giganteum_, an Extinct
Ruminant from the Pliocene Deposits of the Siwalik Hills, India. About
1/13th natural size.]
[Sidenote: Edentates.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account