The formation of the Ronth African portion of the 

 Collection has been greatly furthered by a Govern- 

 raent order allowing all correspondance and parcels 

 to be conveyed by post to or from the Museum free of 

 charges. The Foreign Collection has been almost 

 wholly acquired by exchange of specimens with other 

 Museums or with private individuals. 



The Museum is open to the public on Monday, 

 Wednesday and Friday (from 10 to 4 o'clock from 

 April to October and from 10 to 5 from October to 

 March), and on Saturday from 10 to 1 o'clock. On 

 Tuesday, only subscribers and visitors from a distance 

 are admitted, and on Thursday the Museum is closed 

 except to students and others who have obtained spe- 

 cial permission to visit it. The average attendance of 

 visitors during the year is between 24,000 and 

 25,000. 



I am very decidedly of opinion that, in a Colonial 

 Museum, where available space and means are natu- 

 rally very limited, the first place should certainly be 

 given to the Fauna and other products of the Colony 

 itself. Next in importance come the natural produc- 

 tions of contiguous or neighbouring countries ; and 

 lastly those of remote regions. It is not uncommon 

 to find this order reversed, the tendency being strong 

 to collect specimens of strange and rarely seen forms 

 from distant parts rather than of those immediately 

 around us ; but the result too often is a superficial ac- 

 quaintance with foreign creatures, while great igno- 



