336 FitLo Museum or Natural History — Reports, Vol. V. 



were then ttacked to form units of 15 inches in hcJRht, the uppermost 

 tray bcin^; turned bottom up so as to form a cover. The whole was then 

 fonnod into a bale. This proved not only the quickest and most 

 effcctiN'c nieans of packing, but had the advantage of keeping; the 

 gpcci'T'-r . in the same trays which arc to serve as storai^ for them in the 

 *. The lar^ casts, such as those of Megatherium and Had- 

 luru taken down and crated in sections. The bead and legs 



removed, and the thorax rcenforccd by longitudinal rods lashed 

 •cross the ril^ and secured at cither end. All were then crated in units 

 of such size as to permit easy transportation. Smaller skeletons, 

 such as those of the Irish Deer, Glyptodon and Uintatherium were 

 crated on their bases, with the heads removed when too large to be 

 readily enclosed. Smaller skeletons of a fraj:ile nature were, with their 

 bases, placed in li^ht crates, and were secured by a scries of cordage stays 

 running to the sides of the crates. Thus secured, the specimens were 

 returned to the exhibition cases and fastened in position either by means 

 of wires running to iron straps in the back of the case or by blocks 

 screwed to the bottom of the case. Specimens packed in exhibition 

 cases in this way are believed to be assured a safer handling than those 

 placed in unprotected crates. Smaller specimens, such as skulls, were 

 generally packed in paper cartons and secured in the exhibition cases 

 either by blocks or by long, wooden braces fastened to iron studs screwed 

 into the perforated and threaded strips designed to support the shcli- 

 l In some instances, however, the cartons were packed in large, 



V. ■( ;. Ver>' large skulls, such as those of Titanotherixmi and 



r. •' re packed in special wooden crates and the whole returned 



to the exhibition cases to be moved in them. The Miocene camel 

 skeleton was pcu:ked by disarticulating the legs, remo\'ing the head and 

 pelns, and supporting the torso on short, upright rods attached to a 

 temporary base. The whole was then fastened firmly in an exhibition 

 case. A number of heaN-y and fragile objects, such as specimens of 

 Daemonelix and dinosaur bones, required rc-cnfordng. This was aooom- 

 plishcd by the use of plaster and bxirlap, plaster and iron rods or a 

 combination of all these. Since the spirals of Daemondiz made up of 

 kwidy-cemented sand, would little more than bear their own weight 

 when in an upright position, they were, before removal from the ex- 

 hibition ca.sc, rccnfoTced with plaster and strips of bxirlap. To guard 

 against possible breakage and crumbling, four qiuuter-inch rods were 

 laid across the spirals parallel to their main axes. The peripheries of 

 the spirals were then wound with plaster bandages which, crossing the 

 rods at every turn, bound the whole firmly together. The mounts of 

 d in o wur limbs were taken down and each large bone crated separately. 



