28 



The brirk tirain avDUud the new wiiiix. provided for in the Estimates, 

 was built and completed in February. 



The Estimates also provided for galvanised iron guttering around 

 the lantern roof of the new wing, along the front verandah, and around 

 the porch, and this was completed in March. 



In May the whole of the exterior of the building was white-washed 

 and the wood-work painted. 



n 



A new skiuniug-shcd was built, in close proximity to the existing 

 work-rooms, for the skinning, etc., of the larger animals and general 

 Avork of a dirty nature. 



The floors of the laboratory and dark room were re-cemented in 

 parts where they were badly damaged ; and numerous shelves, j&xed by 

 means of angle-irons, were erected to inci'ease the storage capacity. 



CASES. 



The cases throughout the Museum are now all numbered a separate 

 .'r^et of ninnbers being employed for each room. This has been done 

 principally to facilitate registration ; and by its means it is easy to state 

 correctly and locate at a moment's notice the exact position of any 

 specimen in the various collections. 



The scheme successfully adopted in the etlmological galleries and 

 explained in my last report, of a glazed title for each case, has been 

 canied out in all departments. It has proved highly effective fi'om a 

 practical point of view, and improves the general appearance of the 

 rooms. 



New double, brass winders for the window and blind-cords were 

 fitted on to the new wall-cases wherever necessary. In the older part 

 of the building the old winders and unsightly screw substitutes were 

 discarded in favour of the new oues. 



In the Geological Department the table-case interiors were given 

 two coats of fresh white paint previous to the re-arrangemcnt of the 

 collection. 



With a view to obtaining a reliable paint or distemper to replace 

 the old white oil-colour, the large wall-cases of the Economic Depart- 

 ment have been experimented on. In changing the contents of a case 

 it has always l>een necessary to give the interior a fresh coat of paint, 

 owing to the yellow marks made wherever an object has stood on the 

 painted surface for any length of time ; and in other ways it has not 

 l)een satisfactory. In the cases under notice Morse's Calcarium of a 

 French grey shade has Ijeen applied, and has in every way proved 

 satisfactory up to the time of writing. It is inexpensive, and the 



