MUSEUM COLLECTIONS. 



739 



Particular attention should be given to our own country, with a 

 •view to the economic value of the flora or fauna. 



A large room should be set aside for this purpose, illustrating — 



(a^) Physical features (including stratigraphy), (a^) minerals, 

 (a^) fossils; 



(b) Fauna ; 



(c) Ethnology; 



(d) Prominent types of plant life: 



(e) Special studies — e.g., animal life of a State. Under this 



head could be treated — (e^) Bird life, (e-) Useful and noxious 

 insects, (e^) Food fishes, (e-^) Shellfish (Mollusca). 



In (a^) the mineral collections can be well exhibited in flat glass 

 cases. 



The teaching series should be labelled " An introduction to the 

 Study of Minerals." The cases should be consecutive, the specimens 

 in each case being arranged from left to right. Over each specimen is 

 placed a clearly-written name with a few words of description. Between 

 each column of white card is a nan-ow length of wood (0'25" x '025"), 

 painted black, which has an excellent effect. Many of the specimens 

 should be placed on circular or rectangular discs. 



I shall crive the headings of several cases to indicate the noiethod — 



These flat cases should occupy 11'' x 18" x 4" of space. In 

 Part (a^) an introduction to the study of fossils could be arranged in 

 the same manner as the minerals. 



I think in no part of the world is the " teaching series of fossils " 

 so well exhibited as in the National Museum, Victoria. For example 

 — What is a fossil? Examples of fossils, and ancient ideas of them. 

 How animals and plants have been placed in the sedimentary rocks. 

 Marine deposits. Estuarine deposits. Terrestrial and fresh water 

 deposits. Fossiliferous rocks. Limestones. Borne beds. Flints. 

 Ironstone. Parts generally preserved as fossils. Tracks and impres- 

 sions of animals. (1) Fossils well preserved; why and howl (2) 



