From the 9th May to 8th August inclusive, the public is admitted to view the collections, on Mondays, from 10 until 8 o'clock; on Wednesdays and Fridays, from 10 to 6; and on Saturdays, from 12 to 8. From 9th to 31st August inclusive, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 10 until 6, and on Saturdays from 12 till 6. During the remainder of the year, the hours of admission are from 10 to 4.

It is closed from 1st to 7th January, 1st to 7th May, and from 1st to 7th of September.

SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM, Brompton, is a Museum of art, and of manufactures connected with the arts. It originated in 1852, and has already become one of the most extensive and important museums in the world. Its collections of medieval and modern art, consisting of paintings, sculptures, goldsmiths' work, jewels, carvings, porcelain, armour, tapestries, &c., are exceedingly interesting. Most of the paintings of the celebrated Vernon gallery, the Sheepshanks collection, and the cartoons of Raphael, formerly at Hampton Court, are now exhibited in this

museum.

(There is a branch of this museum at BETHNAL GREEN, for the benefit of the poorer classes of East London. It has a permanent collection of articles used for food, and of clothing materials, and there is always on view a large collection of pictures and works of art, loaned by their owners for exhibition. Admission Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays free, on other days 6d). Opposite the western entrance of the museum, are the Exhibition galleries containing among other objects of interest, the NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, a series of original pictures and busts of

celebrated Englishmen. Open at the same time as the South Kensington Museum. The large new building facing the Cromwell. Road, was built to receive the NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTION of the British Museum.

Admission: Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, free, from 10 A.M. to 10 P.M.; on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 10 to 4, 6d.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY of paintings is upon the north side of Trafalgar Square. lt was founded in 1824, and the present building was erected in 1832-8. The collection of paintings consists of works of the highest class of all schools, collected without regard to cost. No tourist should omit to visit it. Visitors who wish to examine the pictures in chronological order, should turn to the right on entering by the main entrance, the earlier pictures being at that side, the English works on the left. Each picture has inscribed upon it the name of the artist, the dates of his birth and decease, and the subject represented. An excellent catalogue is sold in the building, one part being of the Foreign Schools, the other of the British, the price of either volume being 1s.

The great number of works of art in the gallery, renders any detailed notice here impossible. Every school of painting is represented, and the collection contains many of the best examples of all the great masters of painting. Room XV., called the Select Cabinet, has masterpieces of Raphael, Titian, and Corregio, and cabinet pictures of Bellini and Giorgione. In Room XIV., is one of the best pictures of Paul Veronese (No. 294), and in Room XII., are good examples of Rubens, Rembrandt, and other masters of the Dutch School. The gallery is open to the public

on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday; to artists, on Thursday and Friday. It is closed during the last two weeks of September and during the month of October.

SIR JOHN SOANE'S MUSEUM, 13 Lincoln's-inn-fields. To the admirers of architectural and sculptural antiquities, relics of ancient art, models, fine paintings, &c., this museum will be found highly interesting; it was bequeathed to the nation by Sir John Soane, R. A. Here is the celebrated Egyptian sarcophagus, of alabaster, covered with hieroglyphics, discovered by Belzoni, in 1816, and ascertained to be about 3400 years old. There are also some excellent paintings by Canaletti, a few original Hogarths, and many designs by Sir John Soane. The museum is open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, during the months of April, May, June, July, and August.

The ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, situated on the north-east of the Regent's park, were established by a society founded in 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles, Sir Humphrey Davy, Lord Auckland, and othernoblemen, patronsof science. The gardens were opened to the public in 1828, and form at this time one of the most rational and attractive objects of curiosity from their situation and admirable style of arrangement. The collection of wild and domestic quadrupeds, birds, &c., is very numerous, and comprises many rare specimens of the animal kingdom, including two hippopotami.

The gardens are open daily, except Sunday, from 10 in the morning till sunset. Admittance, 1s., except on Monday, when it is only 6d. Members of the Zoological Society are admitted without charge every day, including

The

The ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, Lincoln's-inn-fields, was incorporated by royal charter in 1800. The building presents in front a noble colonnade and portico of the Ionic order. museum is a magnificent room with three galleries, and contains, among many valuable and curious objects, the collection of the celebrated anatomist, John Hunter, purchased by government, and committed to the care of this college, with the condition that twenty-four lectures, illustrative of some of the preparations, should be delivered annually. The principal objects are the articulated skeletons, placed on pedestals, of the megatherium and hippopotamus; O'Brien, the Irish giant; the dwarf Madlle. Crachami; Chuny, the elephant shot at the Royal Exchange; a giraffe and a Bactrian camel; besides innumerable other objects of interest. Admittance by order of a member of the college, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, between 12 and 4 o'clock, except the month of September, when the museum is closed.

MADAME TUSSAUD'S WAX-WORK. This very interesting exhibition is situated at the bazaar in Baker street, Portman square. The suite of rooms is 243 feet long by 48 wide, and contains a great number of wax figures of ancient and modern persons of note, for the most part admirably executed, and well worth seeing. Here are likewise two "Napoleon Rooms," containing the camp-bed on which the ex-emperor died; the two

carriages used by him at the battle of Waterloo, and several portraits. The collection is altogether a magnificent display of paintings, costumes of all periods, jewellery, relics; and wax modelling, seen as it should be as to effect of colour, light, &c. In a room called the Chamber of Horrors, are effigies of a great number of celebrated criminals. Admission: Great Room and the Hall of Kings, 1s.; children, 6d. Napoleon Rooms and Chamber of Horrors, 6d. extra.

THE ROYAL AQUARIUM, in the Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, is a building with an arched roof, 600 feet in length, which contains fresh and salt water aquaria, a concert hall, restaurant, readingroom, and picture gallery. The chief amusements are of the variety class, and are not always very select. It is open during the whole afternoon and every week day evening till 10.30 o'clock.

SQUARES.

Among the Squares best worth notice are the following::

TRAFALGAR SQUARE contains several statues, the Nelson Column, and the north side is occupied by the National Gallery. Near the Nelson Column, towards Westminster, is an equestrian statue of Charles I. It occupies the site of Queen Eleanor's Cross, and the place of the execution of the Regicides. A prominent feature of this Square is the new Grand Hotel.

GROSVENOR SQUARE is situated on the south side of Oxford street, and contains 6 acres of ground: in the centre was formerly a gilt equestrian statue of George I., by Van Nost, erected in 1726, by direction of Sir R. Grosvenor. The buildings are handsome, and the ground within the railing well laid out.

PORTMAN SQUARE is surrounded

At

by large and elegant mansions. It was begun in 1764, and was not completed for 20 years. the north-west angle is the mansion built for Mrs Montague, and where the chimney-sweeps of London were, for several years, entertained on May-day.

HANOVER SQUARE was built soon after the accession of the house of Hanover. On the south side is a colossal bronze statue of Pitt, by Chantrey, 12 feet in height, placed on a granite pedestal.

BELGRAVE SQUARE, Pimlico, was commenced in 1825, on the estate of the Marquis of Westminster, and is now one of the most distinguished ornaments of the metropolis, being 864 feet long and 617 feet broad; the houses, large, handsome, and uniform, are adorned with Corinthian columns.

EATON SQUARE, situated to the south-east of Belgrave square, is a parallelogram, 1637 ft. by 371. At the north end is St Peter's Church.

RUSSELL SQUARE, one of the largest and most uniform squares in London, has the interior laid out with great taste. In the centre of the south side, facing Bedford place, is the bronze statue of Francis Duke of Bedford, in his peer's robes, by Westmaeott, R.A.

LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS, laid out in 1618, by Inigo Jones, but the west side only was built upon in his time. On the south side is the Royal College of Surgeons, with its wonderful Museum; on the north, Sir John Soane's Museum; and on the east side, the new hall and library of Lincoln's Inn complete the square. It was in this square that William, Lord Russell, was beheaded, July 21, 1683.

LEICESTER SQUARE was once a fashionable locality. It was

opened in 1635. Leicester House, which stood where the Sabloniere Hotel now is, was once inhabited by Elizabeth, daughter of James I., and by George II. when Prince of Wales. Hogarth and Sir Joshua Reynolds used to reside in this square, the latter at No. 47, and just out of the square, on the west side, in St Martin's street, still stands the house of Sir Isaac Newton. This square having fallen into a neglected state, was restored and redecorated as it now is by Albert Grant, in 1874. In this district are most of the hotels resorted to by foreigners from the continent.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

THE MANSION HOUSE, the residence of the lord mayor during his year of office, is a magnificent building at the west end of Lombard street, erected entirely of Portland stone. The interior is splendidly decorated and furnished; and when lighted up on festive occasions, the state apartments are very superb. They consist of the Egyptian hall, ballroom, state drawing-room, saloon, Venetian parlour, long parlour, and state bed-room.

THE CUSTOM HOUSE, Lower Thames Street, is an extensive building, with the principal front towards the Thames; it has three porticoes of the Ionic order, each consisting of six columns; that in the centre projects beyond the others, and is surmounted by a parapet, with a clock in the middle. Between the river and the building is a spacious gravelled quay or terrace, forming an agreeable evening promenade for the families in its vicinity: it commands a good view of London Bridge, and of that part of the river which is enlivened by the bustle occasioned by the departure and arrival of the numerous vessels. The Custom House is 480

feet in length, and 100 feet in breadth.

THE BANK OF ENGLAND is an insulated assemblage of buildings and court-yards, on the north side of the Royal Exchange, and nearly opposite the Mansion House; but it is nominally in Threadneedle Street. It occupies an irregular area of 8 acres. Within this space are 9 open courts, which afford light to the various offices, there being no windows in the exterior of the building.

The accommodations consist of a rotunda, public offices, private apartments, committee-rooms, an armoury, library, printing-office, &c., all well adapted for the purposes and business of the Bank; the details of the architecture, by Sir John Soane, are beautiful.

Admission to the interior may be had by special order from the governor, or a director. (Such permission may be procured through any reputable London banker.) The hall, rotunda, &c., may be seen by strangers on any business day.

THE ROYAL EXCHANGE.-The late Royal Exchange, founded by Charles II., and greatly improved in the present century, was destroyed by fire, January 10th, 1838. On its site the present splendid building was commenced, and the foundation stone laid by His Royal Highness Prince Albert, on the 17th January, 1842. It was completed in less than three years. The building stands east and west; the extreme length is 308 ft., the west end is 119 ft. in width, and the east end 175 ft.; the area for the merchants 170 ft. by 112 ft.; the height of the tower to the top of the vane 177 ft. The principal entrance is at the west end, under a portico supported by eight Corinthian columns, which is ascended by 13 granite steps. The eastern entrance is under the tower; and on the north and south