CASES. 69 
them at a cost not exceeding that of a poor case. It would 
be well for those having charge of the equipment of a mu- 
seum to visit these four museums before building their own, 
and thus avoid the endless grumbling and dissatisfaction 
which might otherwise follow. 
Cases for exhibition may be divided into two groups, ver- 
tical and horizontal. ‘The former are generally either placed 
against the wall or are used to divide the exhibition room 
into alcoves. Each upright case should have its own floor, 
the floor of the room never being employed for that pur- 
pose. Cases placed against the wall should also have their 
own back. Otherwise any settling of the building will pro- 
duce cracks through which dust and vermin find easy access. 
Both floor and back should be made of thoroughly seasoned 
matched lumber, or better still of zinc and should be fastened 
to the rest of the case without the slightest crack. The rest 
of the case should be of well seasoned timber, as light as is 
consistent with strength, while large panes of good glass per- 
mit a clear view of the specimens exhibited. The doors 
should be very firmly made so that they cannot sag and plenty 
of hinges should be used in hanging them. Means should 
be employed of fastening them tightly in at least three places. 
The lock invented by Prof. E. S. Morse, improved and manu- 
factured by Mr. Jenks at Middleboro, Mass., is admirably 
adapted for this purpose. In this lock all bolts act as wedges 
drawing the door closely against the projecting portion of 
the jamb. 
To render the joint between the door and the frame tight, 
several methods have been employed. Sometimes a thin 
