MUSEUMS. l"> 



rare, have expressed (lie great pleasure derived from the life-like 

 attitudes of the species, aud the accurate reproduction of their 

 habitats. The collection of British Birds' Eggs has been arranged 

 and placed in the open gallery, in a cabinet with glazed and 

 " stopped " drawers, so as to be easily and conveniently consulted by 

 visitors at all times, without application to the Staff. 



The preparation of satisfactory examples of the local fishes, 

 reptiles and amphibians, and the suitable mounting of them for 

 exhibition in fluid or as dry preparations: dredging excursions to 

 obtain fresh specimens of tishes with other much-desired marine 

 forms, their preservation and fixing, or the casting of those fishes 

 too large to place in jars, in plaster or papier-mache, with the 

 necessary careful painting of the same, have occupied much of the 

 time of the Assistant Curator, his Laboratory Assistant and the 

 Draughtsman during the year. It is hoped that the local reptiles 

 and fishes will be completely on exhibition before the close of 190-3. 



In the Upper Gallery, where the systematic collections are 

 arranged, additions have been made from time to time to the 

 Mammals, and about 490 representatives of the remaining genera of 

 the non-passerine orders of Birds have been mounted and exhibited 

 in metal cases, similar to those already in the gallery. The general 

 labelling of the cases and of their contents has also been pro- 

 ceeded with as rapidly as it could be undertaken by the printer. 

 During the year, the cases exemplifying the classification of the 

 Kept ilia and Amphibia have been completed, and considerable pro- 

 gress has been made in preparing specimens to illustrate that of the 

 Fishes, and so complete the Vertebrate Section of the Animal 

 Kingdom. The collection of fishes in the Museum consists chiefly 

 of stuffed specimens, prepared before taxidermy became the art it 

 now is, all of them in a very unsatisfactory state, and some of them 

 (being 40 to 50 years old) practically useless for any Museum 

 purpose. It will be a considerable time before a really good collec- 

 tion, properly preserved and mounted for exhibition, can be 

 accumulated. 



The re-arrangement of the Invertebrata has been begun: that of 

 th*? mollusca now approaching completion. The shells have been 



