74 



THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



\^, ,^f . r 



Australian mam- 



mals from extinc- 

 tion and preserve 

 them for the scien- 

 titic men and stu- 

 dents of future 

 generations. Who 

 ■would not rather 

 see one kangaroo 

 ))0unding' tremen- 

 dously over the 

 plain than a hun- 

 dred kangaroo ske- 

 letons or skins in a 

 museum? 



[The photographs 

 in tliis article, when 

 not taken from life, 

 are from specimens 

 in the Australian 

 Museum! . 



The Bufous Rat Kangaroo is a representative of the hopping type 

 of marsupial; this species builds a nest of grass. 



Plioto. — id. V. Clutton. 



Numismatic Exhibit. — Two cases con- 

 taining a comprehensive collection of 

 medals, seals, and medallions, have re- 

 cently been placed on exhibition in the 

 entrance hall. The contents include war 

 medals and war-time l)adges, exhibition 

 award and counnemoi'ative medals. 



Visit of an Archaeologist. — Captain 

 H. W. Murray, F.S.A., of Surrey, Eng- 

 land, who was recently on a visit to 

 Sydney, spent some time in the Museum 

 examining the etluiological collections, in 

 wliich he is keenly interested. He has 

 now left for England, but hopes to re- 

 turn to Australia. 



OsTKOLO(iICAL STUDENTS. — Dr. A. N. 



Burkitt, Lecturer in Anatomy at the 

 LTniversity of Sydney, has been studying 

 the dentition of man and other animals, 

 and has made extensive use of our osteo- 

 logical collection. Miss H. T. Stephens 

 and Miss E. Thomas, students in Science 

 and Medicine at the University, have 

 also found the Museum collection of 

 skeletons very helpful in their studies. 



Wai; Caxok. — The Solomon islailUs 

 War Canoe presented to the Museum by 

 Mr. Harry Wickham, of Roviana, has 

 now been placed on view in the Melane- 

 sian gallery, where, slung from the roof,, 

 it forms an imposing exhilnt. The 

 canoe, which is a magniticent example 

 of native boat-building skill, is forty- 

 six feet in length, with a beam of three 

 feet seven inches, and is seated for 

 twenty-two rowers. It is inlaid with 

 pearl and nautilus shell, and highly or- 

 namented with shells and feathers. It 

 was necessary to pass the vessel in 

 through a window on the first floor, a 

 task which involved much ingenuity and 

 liard work. Mr. J. H. Wright, assistant 

 Taxidermist, formeily of the Royal Navy, 

 ])lanned and supervised the carrying C'.ic 

 of this work with great skill and sue 

 cess. 



Solomon Island Exhibit. — A table 

 case has recently l)ee.n installed in the 

 Melanesian room to acconunodate some 

 of the smaller objects from the Solomon 

 Islands, such as personal ornaments, lime 

 boxes, and examples of shell cui-rency. 



