This small collection, dating back to the mid-1800s, is the oldest part of what is held at the Natural History Museum today. It is made up of what remains of  larger J.B. Fourcault’s collections. Father Fourcault was  Borbone-Parma court ornithologist and founded the court museum in 1766. A glass case shows 35 birds and a dehydrated mammal and houses some jars of small birds and mammals. These specimens were prepared in a highly skilled way and bottled with a technique which has remained unfortunately secret up to now.