EEPOET 



PREPARED BY THE DIRECTOR OF MUSEUMS, RELATIVE 



TO THE SPACE REQUIRED FOR THE EXTEi^SION 



OF THE FREE PUBLIC MUSEUMS. 



In accordance with the Resolution of the Special Sub-Committee of the 

 Museums (General) Committee, held on the 6th instant, the Director of 

 Museums begs to report on the accommodation which will be required 

 to exhibit efficiently the very large collections now contained in the 

 Free Public Museums. 



In order that the suggestions which the Director has the honour to 

 subjoin, may be fuUy comprehended, it appears ad\dsable to him : — 



I- — To point out that the present arrangement of the Museum, 



necessitated by the lack of space, is most unsatisfactory ; and 



II' — To indicate how, in the opinion of the highest authorities, a 



Biological Collection, such as the Derby Museum, ought to 



be arranged. 



Before dealing with these heads, however, it may be well to indicate 



the present congested state of the collections. 



In all the rooms in which the Vertebrate Animals are exhibited, 

 especially in the Mammal Galleries, the specimens are so crammed 

 together in the cases that proper exhibition is impossible, those behind 

 being quite obstructed from view by those in front. In the main room, 

 the cases are double-banked, the second tier reaching to the roof, where 

 the specimens are all impossible of examination by the visitor. The 

 Bird Galleries, as well as the Fish and Reptile Galleries, on the upper 

 floor, are in substantially the same condition as those below. In nearly 

 every gallery, where it has been possible to conceal them more or lesc-, 

 are cabinets stacked with collections ; every subterranean passage is 

 lined with cases and cupboards, and every cellar is stored — aU to their 

 utmost capacity — with material of great value, and consisting of much 

 that must be new to science, and a great deal of it, ha^-ing been stored 

 for a score of years, must undoubtedly be deteriorating and going to 

 rum. The collections, especially those from Knowsley, are of the 

 highest value, many of the specimens being of great historical interest. 



