8 MCSErMS. 



The form and framework of the new cases, which are made of guy- 

 metal (in two sizes Tft. (Jin. high by 8ft. Din. long by 5ft. wide, and 

 7ft. Gin. high by 8ft. 9in. long by 2ft. (tin. wide), has resulted from 

 the careful examination and study by the Director and Mr. 

 Ashworth (of Messrs. Haigh & Co., Liverpool) of the most approved 

 cases in the chief museums of Europe and America, together with 

 numerous experiments as to the best section of the corners conducted 

 by the latter in consultation with the Director. The general 

 appearance of the cases, as can be seen from the views of a single 

 case in Plate I. and in Plates II. and III. of the newly-arranged 

 galleries, is extremely light and elegant; but what is chiefly 

 important, they have proved perfectly dust-proof, their efficiency 

 in this respect being due to the special design devised for the frame- 

 work for receiving the single sheet-glass sides and top, and to the 

 construction of the floor. Each case stands four-square on the floor, 

 so that its contents may be examined from all sides. Thus the wall- 

 space is entirely left free and its value for this purpose cannot 

 be over-estimated for the exhibition of diagrams, drawings and 

 labels. The shelves are in most cases of a single plate-glass sheet, 

 supported on an almost concealed wrought-iron frame of novel 

 design. The cases are easily transportable to any part of the 

 building as required, by being elevated on to a couple of rubber- 

 tyred wheeled planks, specially designed for the purpose in the 

 Museum. 



On the upper floor of the Lord Derby Museum, the room 

 formerly known as Xo. 1 Bird Room, has been re-cased and fitted 

 up with a series of specimens introductory to the study of the 

 Vertebrata. This room opens into the long horse-shoe gallery in 

 which the systematic scries arc being arranged. By the close of the 

 year 74 metal cases had been built, delivered and fitted up, and in 

 these the entire series of the mammalia, the bulk of the non- 

 passerine birds and part of the reptilia, have been arranged in 

 systematic older. On the floor beneath, the ceramics and 

 archaeology, and also the entire series of the mammals and part of 

 the birds, from the Local area, as well as the botany of the same 

 region have been displayed or, according to circumstances, freshly 

 arranged in their natural surroundings, for which 10 gun-metal 



