362 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE ORANGE RIVER COLONY. 



the valuable services of our preseut Custodian, Mr. J. Dodt, who- 

 for the last 13 years has worked in a proper methodical and 

 scientific style and with unremitting zeal in the fulfilment of his 

 duties. 



On three different occasions our Museum attracted some 

 burglars, who succeeded twice in abstracting some rather valu- 

 able and rare coins, only a few of which were recovered. After 

 the British occupation the then Provost Capt. Hitchcock found 

 it necessary to break into it, to search for hidden ammunition 

 and weapons, for reasons known only to himself and his help- 

 mates. 



It is quite impossible for me now in a short historical sketch 

 to enter into a minute description of the different collections. 



Dr. Exton, being a very ardent admirer of ornithology, was 

 very active in securing a great variety of birds, which were at 

 first exhibited in an unstuffed condition, until increased means 

 allowed of their being properly stuffed, so that we are in pos- 

 session now of a properly classified collection of about 900 dif- 

 ferent specimens. To these were gradually added collections 

 of Eggs and Bird-nests. Our collection of South African 

 Snakes, Lizards and Amphibia was also begun by him, and has 

 since been gradually increased. The collection of mollusca 

 was purchased; 120 fishes we likewise acquired by purchase. 



I take the liberty of drawing the attention of visitors to our 

 collection of Insects, which contains some rather rare foreign 

 specimens, but likewise includes a great variety of South Afri- 

 can origin. We also tried during the last few years to create 

 an interest amongst school cliildren in the collecting of beetles 

 and butterflies and the formation of herbaria by awarding 

 suitable prizes for the best collections. 



Minerals and Geological specimens are well represented. 

 The first collection of minerals was purchased from Heidelberg, 

 in Germany, but has grown by continual gifts to a very decent 

 size, so that we can boast of over 2,000 different and in some 

 cases very valuable specimens. A very large collection of gold- 

 bearing c^uartz specimens, out of the different Transvaal 

 mines, was presented to us by the late President Kruger, but 

 cannot be exhibited, there being no space for it at our disposal. 

 Fossils and Petrefacts number about 450, and we stand every 

 chance of increasing their number by the latest discoveries of 

 petrified Saurians in the districts of Ficksburg and Fouriesburg. 

 We approached our Government to make a substantial grant 

 to us for the development of those finds and hope to be assisted 

 in this task, so that valuable specimens may be prevented from 

 being carried abroad. A few of these specimens, which only 

 arrived lately, are exhibited in the Museum and are recom- 

 mended to visitors for inspection. 



We did our utmost to preserve anthropological and ethno- 

 graphical objects and are greatly assisted by the general public 

 in this our endeavour. 



Old documents and other objects, bearing upon historical 

 events in South Africa and the Orange Free State, are re- 

 ligously taken care of. while pictures, photographs, maps and 

 books we also try to acquire as far as possible. Our collection 



