122 REPORT— 1887. 



The best museums have many ingenious devices contrived by their 

 own officers, such as special fasteners for the cases, supports for open 

 lids, blinds for protection from light, stands for specimens and labels, 

 cements, &c. At Brighton some cases full of very valuable objects are 

 protected by electric alarms. At Montrose coins are exhibited in locked 

 cases, through which run a number of narrow wire frames turning on 

 pins w^hich project through the sides of the case. On these frames the 

 coins with their labels are fastened, and thus both sides are readily seen. 

 At Peterhead the coins are mounted in circular holes cut out of sheets of 

 cardboard which are glazed on both sides. These glazed sheets are kept 

 in a cabinet. At the Dublin Museum of Anatomy osteological specimens 

 are mounted in revolving spindles, so that students may examine every 

 part. The Cork Museum reports that ' slit gun-barrel has been largely 

 used for the insertion of stands, &c.' Fragile objects are exhibited in 

 glass-topped boxes of various sizes, from the small pill-box upwards ; 

 these are often partly filled with cotton-wool. Shallow glazed drawers 

 are frequently used for the exhibition of insects, eggs, &c., which are 

 injured by light. They are thus much better protected than in table- 

 cases, even with blinds over them, as the blinds are removed by visitors 

 and frequently not replaced. The glazed drawers can be drawn out by 

 the public, but a stop prevents them from being removed, and each 

 drawer is locked. This system saves much space. 



12. Methods of Freservation. — Camphor is the usual preservative 

 against moths, and is effectual if freely supplied. At King's Lynn pure 

 carbolic acid on cotton-wool is found entirely to prevent mould in the 

 insect-cases. The vapour of benzine seems to be of much value in the 

 cases of stuffed animals. At Bolton bird-skins are cured with three 

 parts burnt alum and one part saltpetre, and washed inside with a 

 solution of mercuric chloride. The plumage is also washed with a veiy 

 weak solution of the same. At Aston Hall, Birmingham, all natural 

 history specimens are preserved by a private chemical process. At 

 Cirencester iron antiquities ai'e soaked in very hot white paraffin. In 

 the medical department of the Yorkshire College many delicate patho- 

 logical specimens are preserved in glycerine jelly. 



At Leicester modelling is largely used. A new method of modelling 

 fish has been introduced which is light, of good texture, and takes colour 

 better than a plaster cast. Many museums have collections of Blaschka's 

 glass models of invertebrates, and of opaque white models of foraminifera 

 on a magnified scale. Fossils, shells, &c., are commonly fastened to 

 tablets made of wood or thick millboard or plate-glass and covered with 

 tinted paper. Cements of various kinds are used, but these often fail, 

 and after a time the specimens get loose. At York fine wire is preferred. 

 At Liverpool many specimens are kept in their places by several short 

 pins only, and these may be so arranged as to lift small specimens 

 nearer to the eye. At Owens College, Manchester, recent shells are laid 

 on a bed of fine sand, which has a natural appearance and holds them in 

 place. A workshop for the curator and his assistants is an essential 

 featui'C in all good museums. 



13 and 14. Mounting. — The teaching power of natural history speci- 

 mens depends very largely upon the manner in which they are placed 

 before the eye. A single bird stuffed in an unnatural position teaches 

 very little. Well stuffed it teaches a good deal more, even though it 

 stand alone on a mere wooden peg. A family group of birds, comprising 



