86 



7. The iiuinhcr of visitors coiitiimps to iuoroase. year hy year, in 

 the most satisfactory manner. Tlie total for tlie year was 61,449, 

 being the greatest number ever recorded. It is also pleasant to be 

 able to i-eport that there has been no case of damage to the Museum 

 or to the exhibits, or of misbehaviour on the part of any of the many 

 persons who have visited the Institution. 



8. The Curator, Mr. Knocker, was absent on leave from the 1st 

 of March to the end of the year. Mr. E. Keilich, the Taxidermist, 

 acted for the Cui'ator, and Mr. Yong Fook, the Assistant Taxider- 

 mist, for the Taxidermist. There were three changes in the appoint- 

 ment of Caretaker and Clerk, and from having a man at the top of 

 Tirade III, the present occupant is at the very bottom of that Grade. 



9. In consequence of the fixing of the dollar at 2s. 4r7., a saving 

 was effected on the estimates of 8715.15, from the salaries of Messrs. 

 Knocker and Keilich. 



SELAXaOR STATE :\[ITSEUM. 



10. The new Museum building was handed over by the Public 

 Works Department during the year, and by the end of it the greater 

 part of the case building was finished. A portion of the painting, 

 glazing and fitting remained to be done, and some of the cases in the 

 central hall were not comj>leted. The sum of ii^7,378.56 was expended 

 on cases, and the general effect of the galleries, considering the low 

 cost of construction, is hy no means bad. 



11. The collections were removed from the old building to the 

 new. The old cases and fittings were sold and realised 8340.93. 

 The work of installing the specimens was begun ami carried on, as far 

 as the state of the cases would allow. 



12. Collecting proceeded throughout tlie year and many addi- 

 tions wore made to all the departments. An Assistant Ctirator was 

 appointed and arrived in August. He has already made very con- 

 sidemble progress in collecting and mounting various zoological 

 specimens, but it will necessarily l>e some years before this portion of 

 the collection is brought up to a satisfactory standard. In the early 

 part of the year, prior to his appointment, a good many birds and 

 mammals were sent to be mounted in England. Nearly the whole of 

 the old collection of mammals will have to be discarded as soon as 

 l)ett€r mounted examples of the various species can be procured. 



13. The wing set apart for the ethnological collection, although 

 this is strictly local in character, is already becoming congested. 



GENERAL. 



14i One numl)er of the " Journal of the Federated Malay States 

 Museums " was issued during the year, and the MS. for another was 



