^[iicl.id ihI liislil'iite. 501 



in the Museum ; a fine carved burial-chest, ituicliascd fiuin Mi. K. S]Kincr- : a lonsidoi- 

 able number of Maori and Polynesian articles ])iesentcd by Mr. (I. Oraham, who 

 for many years has been a constant contributor to the Miiseuni ; a collection of 10!) 

 Melanesian and Polynesian sjjecimens purchased fi'om Archdeacon ('oniins : aii<l. linally. 

 an elaborate golddacquered Japanese cabinet presented by Mr. H. Shaw. 



Among the war relics presented during the year the first place must be given to an 

 interesting collection formed by Mi'. ('. J. Parr. f'.M.G., during his recent visit to the 

 western front, and which includes several noteworthy artic'les. Several contributions of 

 value have also been received from Colonel Boscawen, ]\1r. H. Norton. Mr. 1'. V-. Calver. 

 and others. 



\% Among the zoological specimens the following may be mentioned : An excellent 

 skin of a lion, from a specimen that died at the Onehunga Zoo, presented by the pro- 

 prietor, Mr. J. J. Boyd ; a specimen of the sooty tern {Sterna ful'Kjiiiom), driven in b\ 

 the cyclonic storm on the 20th March, and ])resented by Mr. H. V. Smith. This hird 

 has not been previouslj^ noticed on the mainland of New Zealand. The severe weathei 

 experienced during the whole of the month of July drove in many thousands of oceanic 

 dove-petrels, birds very seldom seen on the mainland. Through the kindness of 

 several correspondents in the countiy the Museum has received an excellent series of 

 these i^retty little birds. 



In the natural-history de])artment Mr. (.'riffin has completed the elaborate grou|i 

 illustrating the breeding habits of the black-fronted tern (Hierua frovkili-s), referred to 

 in last year's report as being under 2ireimration, and it is now on exhibition. He has 

 also mounted in excellent style the head of the well-known racehorse Carbine, which 

 has been presented to the Museum by the Auckland Racing Club. At i))esent he is 

 engaged in setting up a remarkably fine specimen of the sea-leojiaid, stranded some 

 little time ago in the Manukau Harbour. Various other natural-history s^iecimens 

 have been jjrepared and momited during the year, in addition to work in othei- 

 departments of the Museum. 



Drawbacks and Deficiencies of the Present Museum. — In many successive annual 

 reports it has been the duty of the Council to speak more o7- less ojienly in regard to 

 the limitations and deficiencies of the present buildings, and to show how much these 

 have interfered with the work of the Museum, and have stood in the way of its ])roper 

 expansion. Now that there are prospects of better accommodation in the future it 

 seems advisable to describe shortly the obstacles that should be removefl. and the most 

 desirable improvements to be effected. 



In the first place, there is no department of the Museum that has sufficient room 

 for exhibition purposes. With regard to the ethnographical collections, the Curator 

 has frequently pointed out how greatly the teaching value of the Maori portion would 

 be improved, and its appearance enhanced, if it were possible to remove the carved 

 houses, canoes, and other large objects from their jjresent quarters and place them in 

 a separate hall, whei'e they could be treated as occupying the central courtyard of a 

 Maori village, similar to one of those that in past days stood on the shore of the Waite- 

 mata Harbour. Similarly, the l*olynesian collection is obviously overcrowded, although 

 the visitor may not know that all recent collections are packed away in store-boxes. 



Turning to the natural-history department, a glance at the show-case containing 

 the New Zealand birds will ])rf)ve that no space remains for further additions. The 

 preparation of special groups illustrating the life-history of New Zealand birds, which 

 have proved to be such pojiular exhibits, has had to be suspended, there being no 

 available space in which to place the show-cases. A small amount of room has been 

 reserved for the collection of fishes, now being formed, but with that exception there is 

 no unfilled space. Yet in some sections, such as insects and other invertebrates, hardly 

 anything has been done. No attempt has yet been made to form a botanical museum. 

 The geological and mineralogical collections require many additions, and the substitution 

 of better specimens for most of those exhibited. 



One of the most disturbing facts connected with the present overcrowded con- 

 dition of the Museum is that several large collections of natural-history specimens at 

 piesent in the hands of private owners would be gladly jiresented if there was a reason- 

 able probability that such could be suitably exhibited, and made available for scientific 

 study and research. These collections have been ])atiently formed by the labour of 

 many years, and it would be little less than a calamity if th(> chance of obtaining them 

 for Auckland should be lost. 



The present want of accommodation and equipment for collecting, research, ami 

 the convenience of visitors is a most serious drawback. The Museum lias no proper 

 storerooms ; no accommodation for students who may wish to make use of the collec- 

 tions ; no rooms in which specimens can be sorted, examined, and determined, or packed 

 away as duplicates. There is no inquiry-room where strangers in search of information 

 can be received and their questions answered ; nor are there any retiring-rooms where 



