Notes and Comments. 135 



THE POST OFFICE AND NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS. 



Recentl}^ we received the torn half of a foolscap envelope 

 from a contributor at Halifax, and it contained a letter to 

 the effect that there were some natural history specimens 

 enclosed. The Post Office authorities had written across 

 the envelope that it was torn on arrival at Hull. We at once 

 wrote to the Hull office, enclosing the portion delivered, and 

 offering it in exchange for the part kept. Two days later we 

 received a form (marked R.L.B. — -No. 29. G. & S., 4112. 

 750/7/09 — [9358] 750 2/iov) from the Postmaster at Man- 

 chester, enclosing the empty tin tobacco box that had contained 

 the specimens, with the information that the contents had 

 been destroyed the day they were received at Hull ' in accor- 

 dance with the i-egulations of the Department [with a capital 

 ' D '] relating to the disposal of perishable, offensive or in- 

 jurious articles.' 



THE LAW AND NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS. 



There was a further notification to the effect that ' it is 

 contrary to law to forward by post anything likely to 

 injure the contents of the mails, or the officers of the Post 

 Office.' As the specimens had been preserved in formalin, 

 were quite hard, dry, and without smell, it is difficult to see 

 why they should so promptly have been taken from the tin 

 box, together with the cotton wool in which they w^ere wrapped, 

 and destroyed. Why the Postmaster at Hull sent the empty 

 tin box to the Post master at Manchester, in order that it 

 might be returned to us at Hull, is a problem we shall not 

 attempt to solve, unless it is that there is a mutual understand- 

 ing amongst the ' Officers of the Post Office ' that this sort 

 of thing shall be done in order to prevent their ' injury,' as 

 mentioned on the form R.L.B. — No. 29. G. & S., etc., etc. 

 In justice to the Post Office, we ought to say that we were not 

 asked to pay extra postage on the tobacco box which they had 

 emptied. 



THE SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM. 



In view of the interest taken in the question of the site 

 of the South Kensington Museum by the members of the 

 Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, we have pleasure in giving the 

 following copy of a letter from the South Kensington Museum, 

 dated March 19th, addressed to the Secretary of the Union : — 

 ^ A settlement of the question of the allocation of the South 

 Kensington site on the north of the Natural History Museum 

 buildings has now been arrived at with His Majesty's 

 Government and the Public Departments concerned, and hav- 

 ing regard to the friendly interest taken by the Yorkshire 

 Naturalists' Union, in this matter, I am directed to acquaint 

 you, for the information of the societies affiliated to the Union 



1913 May I. 



