13 



General HWork. 



BOTANY. 



Little progress can be recorded in this section 

 owing to the lack of space for development. Miss I. 

 Roper has continued her work upon the Herbert Thomas 

 herbarium, and a number of rare plants have been 

 added. A few additions have also been made to the 

 spirit preparations of germinating seeds. The her- 

 barium has been made use of during the year by 

 numerous students, and constant enquiries have been 

 received upon botanical matters. Having regard to the 

 great interest of the Western Flora, and the keen study 

 which is now directed upon it by numerous schools and 

 classes, it seems very desirable that a good botanical 

 section should be established at an early date. 



MINERALOGY. 



The extensive series of exhibited minerals have 

 been all worked over during the year, every specimen 

 cleaned, and the whole remounted upon sloping boards 

 raised as near to the glass of the cases as possible. 

 Limits of time have as yet prevented a rearrangement, 

 as such work will involve the careful examination of a 

 great quantity of material now stored away, and not 

 readily accessible. It will be necessary to take the 

 work in hand in the immediate future, and also to 

 arrange for the exhibition of a fine series of selected 

 crystals, many of rare types, which are now relegated 

 to drawers. The manner in which the minerals have 

 been mounted will be found described in a paper by the 

 Curator read before the Museums Association at the 

 Bristol Meeting. 



