Characters of Birds' -eggs. 353 



carried out. It may be small and compact, so as to sliow at 

 a glance the main facts only of the subject, or the illustra- 

 tions and subdivisions may be extended almost indefinitely. 

 In the collection which I have arranged the limitations of 

 exhibition-space at my command had to be carefully consi- 

 dered, and the requirements of the ordinary museum visitor 

 thought of, rather than those of the specialist in oology. 

 Moreover, the very nature of the objects, especially their 

 liability to deterioration from exposure to light, entailing the 

 necessity of frequent renewal of many of them, gives a 

 reason for a comparatively limited exhibition. If such a 

 collection were made upon a large scale, it would have to 

 be kept in drawers, and thus would lose its present great 

 advantage of facility of access and study. 



As it is possible that similar collections will be made 

 for other museums, doubtless with improvements both 

 in general plan and in detail, I have thought that it would 

 be useful to give a description of this one in its present 

 condition. 



The whole collection is contained in two flat glazed cases, 

 each about 3 feet square and 5 inches in depth (see p. 354). 

 Each case is divided into five horizontal spaces, 6 inches from 

 above downwards and 3 feet iu length, in which the tablets to 

 which the eggs are fastened are placed. Between each of 

 these is a raised flat surface, 1 inch wide, upon which the 

 principal labels, constituting the descriptive headings of the 

 series below, are placed. The labels referring to the indi- 

 vidual specimens are fixed on the tablet itself. The tablets 

 are thus arranged in distinct rows divided by spaces, like the 

 lines of a book, and follow in regular sequence from the left 

 to the right of the spectator like the words of such a line. 

 They are of well-seasoned 1-inch deal, and of definite size, 

 so as exactly to fill up the space allotted to them. The 

 majority are 6 inches in height, but some for smaller eggs 

 only 3, one being placed above the other. In width they 

 vary from 3 to 9 inches, care being always taken that the 

 combined width of all the tablets in one row exactly amounts 

 to the allotted 36 inches. Being all of definite proportions, 

 they can be readily shifted in position as required. 



