which tempted Eve. Against the walls were suspended the horns of the
stag that Shakespeare shot; and on the floor lay the ponderous shell
of the tortoise which fell upon the head of Aeschylus. In one row,
as natural as life, stood the sacred bull Apis, the "cow with the
crumpled horn," and a very wild-looking young heifer, which I guessed
to be the cow that jumped over the moon. She was probably killed by
the rapidity of her descent. As I turned away, my eyes fell upon an
indescribable monster, which proved to be a griffin.

"I look in vain," observed I, "for the skin of an animal which might
well deserve the closest study of a naturalist,--the winged horse,
Pegasus."

"He is not yet dead," replied the virtuoso; "but he is so hard
ridden by many young gentlemen of the day that I hope soon to add
his skin and skeleton to my collection."

We now passed to the next alcove of the hall, in which was a
multitude of stuffed birds. They were very prettily arranged, some
upon the branches of trees, others brooding upon nests, and others
suspended by wires so artificially that they seemed in the very act
of flight. Among them was a white dove, with a withered branch of
olive-leaves in her mouth.

"Can this be the very dove," inquired I, "that brought the message
of peace and hope to the tempest-beaten passengers of the ark?"

"Even so," said my companion.

"And this raven, I suppose," continued I, "is the same that fed