J 5 



The bird collections have undergone little change. The 

 whole ol the old cases are being pulled down, and new ones 

 of a modern type erected. When the work is finished it 

 will be possible to entirely re-arrange the whole of the bird 

 series in systematic order. Each new case contains a base- 

 ment series of sixteen drawers, which will be utilised to keep 

 the reserve bird skins close to the exhibited group to which 

 they belong, and so facilitate examination and comparison. 

 By experiment it has been found that a screen of thin muslin 

 down the centre of each case provides a good background 

 without materially affecting the passage of light through the 

 case. It is intended to adopt such a screen in all the cases. 

 The re-arrangement of the bird series will be taken in hand 

 immediately, and much preparatory work has already been 

 done. 



As in previous years, the reserve collections have been 

 worked over and kept in good order. 



The egg collections are frequently consulted, the bird 

 skins less so. 



The authorities of the Clifton Zoological Gardens have 

 presented a fine Sea-Hawk, which has been set up ready for 

 exhibition. 



In the early part of the year two pairs of Ptarmigan, 

 illustrating winter and summer plumage, were taken from 

 the Greville-Smyth collection of skins and set up amidst 

 natural surroundings. Considerable care was taken to make 

 the winter scene an exact duplicate of that illustrating 

 summer. The surroundings in each case merge insensibly into 

 a painted background (by Mr. A. Wilde Parsons) of Scottish 

 lochs and heather-clad hills, which in the one case form an 

 entrancing picture of summer glory, whilst in the other 

 whirling storm and driving mists almost obscure the distance, 

 the foreground showing the Ptarmigan occupying a similar 

 position as in the summer scene, but now pure white in colour 

 and crouched in the snow. 



