i894- ADDRESS TO THE MUSEUMS' ASSOCIATION. 41 



gallery into the light of their present position, was commenced, but 

 took some time to accomplish. 



Preparations were also set on foot for the exhibition of Groups, 

 showing the breeding habits of birds, and for providing maps to 

 illustrate the geographical ranges of individual species. 



Mr. A. G. More, Curator of the Natural History Department, 

 was compelled to retire owing to ill-health, and Dr. Scharff, the 

 present Keeper, was appointed to succeed him. 



In 1888, many very important purchases were made, and the 

 assistance of experts in the arrangement of the collections was 

 largely availed of. 



On the 4th of November, 1889, the completed New Building was 

 handed over by the contractors, and the work of transfer of the 

 collections was immediately commenced. Considerable purchases 

 were made at the Paris Exhibition. 



The year 1890 was memorable, from the fact that, on the 

 29th of August, the New Museum was opened to the public 

 by the Lord Lieutenant, Lord Zetland, the occasion being 

 celebrated by a suitable ceremonial, at which a large number of 

 persons were present. In spite of the extra work thrown on the 

 staff, a considerable amount of other work, such as the preparation 

 of a General Guide Book and several special handbooks, was 

 accomplished. 



Later on in the year, after the official opening, the collection of 

 the Royal Irish Academy was transferred, as has been related on a 

 previous page. 



In the Natural History Department, the arrangement of the 

 special collections to illustrate geographical distribution and evolu- 

 tion was commenced. These now constitute a notable feature in the 

 Museum. 



The Electric Installation, commenced during the year 1890, and 

 completed in 1891, has proved a very great success. It has not as 

 yet been extended to the Natural History Museum, where we 

 are most anxious to be freed from the deleterious effects on the 

 specimens caused by the gas. 



The evening opening of the Museum, though the attendances are 

 fairly good in regard to numbers, is, perhaps, from some points of view, 

 not so satisfactory as the Sunday opening. It is, indeed, true of 

 both that many of the visitors are less intent upon seeing the 

 collections than they are on meeting their friends, and the crowds of 

 people who use the place as a promenade interfere somewhat with 

 the comfort of those who desire to view the exhibits ; but a decided 

 improvement in the quality and conduct of the evening visitors was 

 secured some years ago, by altering the hour of closing from 

 ten o'clock to nine o'clock, and it is difficult to devise a plan by which 

 mere promenaders could be excluded from an institution which is 

 open to all respectably-clad persons. The police and attendants 



