85 



2. Tlio local ethnological room, certainly, now contains the most 

 complete Malayan collection in existence. It is still, of course, far 

 from perfect, but since the newer portion of the building was available 

 for the housing of it, very satisfactory progress has been made in 

 filling up the gaps which previously existed. 



3. The economic section has now assumed, as it should in a 

 State like Perak, quite an important position. The room is not yet 

 finished, but a great deal has been done towards its completion, by 

 the collection of the necessary specimens, and in the year 1907 the 

 original intention will l>e nearly fulfilled. It is the only collection of 

 the kind which has been, so far, attempted in Malaya. 



4. A point has now been reached in the history of the Museum, 

 when it again becomes necessary to consider the question of additional 

 space. The last enlargement, which was begun in 1900 and finished 

 by the end of 1903, is at present practically full, as is also the space 

 which was rendered available in the older portions of the building by 

 the rearrangement of the collections, when the new galleries were 

 occupied. Adequate space is also urgently I'equired for the proper 

 accommodation of the librarv, herbarium and the study collections: 

 and some provision should be made for a small reading room. An 

 inexpensive block, very similar to that last added, only 20 feet longer, 

 would meet the reqviirements of the case. 



5. The Perak Museum was founded in January of 1883, so that 

 the year imder review is the 24th of its existence. The central 

 portion of the present building was begun in 1886, and it has been 

 added to from time to time as it became overcrowded. When con- 

 sidering the progress which has been made, and comparing it with 

 that of other institutions of a similar character and age, it should be 

 remembered that the funds available for general expenses have been 

 very limited in extent, and that out of this small annual vote the 

 whole cost of the case building and fittings has had to be defrayed. 



6. The registration and cataloguing of the contents of the 

 Museum was proceeded with, and 2,700 specimens were registered ; 

 846 of these being new accessions. Up to the end of the year, 13,000 

 cards had been used, exclusive of guides and subsidiary entries. It 

 was found necessary to obtain a second eight-drawer card-cabinet, as 

 the first had become congested. This should give sufficient accom- 

 modation for the next three or four years, at the present rate of 

 progress. Five hundred and eleven new labels were typed, poisoned 

 and mounted on cards. This work Avas much delayed in consequence 

 of changes in the clerical staff, neither of the new clerks knowing how 

 to use a typewriter at the time of appointment, and one lieing, up to 

 the end of the year, incapable of using-the instrument. There are many 

 thousands of old and dirty labels which require replacing with new 

 ones, and thousands more of manuscript ones which should be typed. 



