same quarter may shortly be expected, consisting of skins of mamma- 

 lia and a cast from the great fossil tortoise. 



A few purchases have been made during the year, but these have 

 been neither important nor costly. 



The Model of ancient Liverpool, prepared by Mr. Harding, has 

 been purchased by the Council out of the Corporate 'funds and de- 

 posited in the Museum. 



No progress has been made during the year in mounting additional 

 specimens. The crowded state of the cases and the want of accom- 

 modation for the operator, have prevented any attempt of the kind. 

 The attention of the Committee and the Curator has been chiefly 

 directed to the provision of means for preserving those specimens not 

 yet stuffed and mounted, of which there is a large quantity in the 

 Museum of the most interesting and varied character. These have 

 all been examined, aired and arranged in drawers protected from the 

 light, ready to be brought out and exhibited whenever accommodation 

 shall be provided for the purpose. Means have also been adopted of 

 covering the cases of mounted specimens from the light at all times 

 when the Museum is not open to the public, so as to protect the brilli- 

 ancy of the plumage as long as practicable. 



The Curator has devoted much attention during the year to the 

 naming of the specimens in the Collection ; but this desirable object 

 has been greatly retarded by the want of sufficient books of reference. 

 These works being of an expensive character, the funds at the disposal 

 of the Committee have not enabled them to appropriate any large sum 

 to this object, however desirable it may be. The recent purchase of 

 Gould's splendid works on Ornithology, will, to a certain extent, supply 

 this want, and enable the Curator to make more progress in naming 

 and cataloguing the specimens. As this proceeds, the richness of this 

 collection of birds will be made more apparent ; when it will be found, 

 that by the judicious exchange of duplicate specimens, in lieu of others 

 which may be found deficient in order to complete the series, the 

 Derby Museum will take rank as one of the finest Ornithological 

 Collections in the world. 



