THE PERTHSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM. 



IN the obituary notice of the late Sir Thomas Moncreiffe, 

 mention was made of a scheme, which he had long and 

 earnestly advocated, for providing Perth and Perthshire with a 

 satisfactory Natural History Museum ; and it was stated that 

 there was reasonable hope that a fund would be raised, out of 

 respect to his memory, for carrying the scheme into effect. 

 The expectations of the promoters were not doomed to be dis- 

 appointed. Friends both far and near came to their assistance, 

 and a handsome building has been erected, of which we think 

 a short description may not be uninteresting to our readers. 



The building is in the Scottish baronial style, and has a 

 frontage to South Tay Street of 58 feet, the greatest height 

 being 58 feet 6 inches. Though not much expense has been 

 incurred in external ornamentation (which, moreover, would not 

 be in keeping with the style of architecture), an opportunity has 

 been taken of relieving the general simplicity with appropriate 

 designs in carved stone-work. For example, the capitals of the 

 pillars flanking the doorway, some of the mouldings of the 

 windows, and one or two panels in the walls, represent various 

 forms of indigenous plants and animals. 



On the ground-floor are three apartments, — namely, lecture- 

 room, library, and laboratory or work-room. The lecture-room is 

 32 feet long by 22 broad, and 14 feet 6 inches high, and will 

 contain seats for upwards of 150 persons. Out of it opens a 

 smaller room, to be used as a work and microscope room. 

 The library is 22 feet long by 16 broad, and 14 feet 6 inches 

 high, and will also be used as a reading-room. 



The museum- hall occupies the upper part of the building, and 

 is 56 feet long by 22 broad, and 19 feet 6 inches high, to the 

 spring of the rafters of the roof. The ceiling is open, and is 

 made of varnished pitch-pine. Light is obtained from a row of 



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