1896. NOTES AND COMMENTS. 227 



wide. There are three main floors, 15 feet high, divided transversely 

 into bays 16 feet wide. The ground floor is devoted to economic 

 geology, metallurgy, and metal work. Among the exhibits are speci- 

 mens of meteoric iron, models of meteorites, specimens illustrating 

 phenomenal geology, together with series of rocks, minerals, and 

 fossils, for teaching purposes. 



On the first floor are the economic products of the plant 

 kingdom. Special prominence is given to those of native origin, and 

 an earnest appeal is made for the improvement of this section, since, 

 as the curator rather obviously remarks, " the value of our unknown 

 vegetable wealth is incalculable." It is pointed out that the native 

 plant-foods are of interest, first, because every year increases the diffi- 

 culty of learning about the articles utilised by the aboriginals, and, 

 secondly, because in the more inhospitable portions of the colony it is 

 often desirable that people should be acquainted with the food-products 

 of the bush, such as they are. Here is also to be seen a very popular 

 innovation in the shape of a permanent exhibition of freshly-cut 

 Australian native flowers. Each species is placed in a separate vase 

 of water, and is properly labelled. The plants belonging to each 

 natural order are placed together. Under proper care, the flowers 

 remain fresh for a long time, and the collection is largely increased by 

 daily gifts from visitors. As many as 300 species have been on view 

 on one day. With the help of the Toynbee Hall Natural History 

 Club, a similar exhibit has from time to time been prepared at the 

 Whitechapel Museum, where it is much appreciated by the East 

 Londoners. We commend this* idea to the Botanical Department of 

 our own Natural History Museum. Of its popularity there could be 

 no doubt, since at least it would be necessary to reduce the temperature 

 of one of the galleries. 



The second floor of this museum contains the ethnological collec- 

 tion, which is limited to the weapons and dress of Australian natives 

 and those of the South Seas. The reason for considering these 

 specimens to be of economic importance is that the material of which 

 they are made often suggests a utilisation which has not occurred to 

 other men, while the method and quality of workmanship are often 

 instructive. This floor also contains the economic products of the 

 animal kingdom. New South Wales possesses many so-called native 

 silk-worms, the commercial value of which requires to be properly 

 tested. The small wild bee (Trigona) is an insect to which the atten- 

 tion of residents in the bush may profitably be directed. The wool 

 section is naturally one of the most important features of this museum. 

 It embraces an extensive collection of representative wools from 

 almost every country, and in all stages of manufacture. 



There has hitherto been a want of organised co-operation 

 between the museums and the educational bodies of Sydney, but we 

 are glad to see that, so far as technical education is concerned, the 

 advantages of mutual assistance are fully recognised ; not only are 



