4 Colonial Museums. 



purchase. The colle(5lion of Australian implements formerly here 

 was destroyed by fire while in the Exhibition Building some years 

 ago. Even this lamentable occurrence has not put an end to the 

 unwise course of loaning valuable specimens from secure museums 

 to flimsy and temporary exhibition booths for popular amusement. 

 As in New Zealand museums there are but four dried Maori heads 

 showing the nioko or tatuing, so in Au.stralian museums there are 

 few native crania and skeletons, — more are to be found in Eondon. 



The Brisbane museum was not visited, owing to the floods 

 that had rendered the roads impassible. Although it is the centre 

 from which articles from British New Guinea should be distributed 

 to other museums, it is said on good authority, that little progress is 

 made in the utilization of these and other rich treasures stored here 

 and useless for all purposes of exhibition or study. 



In Melbourne the Ethnological collecftions are in the Public 

 Eibrary, and although large and including many choice specimens, 

 are not well arranged for study. The Natural History colle(5tion 

 is in another and distant building even less suited to the purpose, 

 and so disagreeabl}' crowded that arrangement is almost impossi- 

 ble, and specimens are often mounted in a way unworthy of modern 

 scientific taxidermy. 



In Adelaide the museum is in a new and well-planned build- 

 ing of brick and iron, and Dr. E. C. Stirling has on exhibition the 

 largest and most complete collecftion in the world illustrating Aus- 

 tralian life and works. The food produdls, manufad:ures* with the 

 raw material in all stages, matters of personal adornment seldom 

 colledted, stone implements, are admirably displayed and afford am- 

 ple instrucftion — not only to the casual visitor — but to the scientific 

 student as well. This may indeed be taken as a model for all like 

 institutions, and no student of native Australian manners can neg- 

 lect this encyclopaedic series. In the Natural History division the 

 same good system and results prevail. The palaeontology of South 



* Note should be made in passing of the capital spear-points, some of large size and ad- 

 mirable workmanship, made from telegraph insulators and soda-water bottles, by the natives 

 of West Australia at the present day. Many examples are shown in this museum. 



