192 



THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



more of natural history, but are not 

 interested in technical details. We do 

 not do so badly after all, but we should 

 like to do more. 



i 



f A distinguished American visitor to 

 Australia informed us that in America 

 no wealthy man is allowed to die before 

 he has made substantial bequests for 

 scientific and educational purposes. 

 But how much more satisfactory is the 



Carnegie and Rockefeller method of 

 making the money available during 

 the lifetime of the donor. Sometimes, 

 when lamenting the fact that the lack 

 of money puts an enticing piece of field 

 work beyond our reach, we have wist- 

 fully canvassed the possibility that some 

 kindly soul would generously establish 

 for us a fund of, say £10,000, the 

 income to be earmarked for exploring 

 and collecting purposes. 



Notes and News, 



We are sorry to learn that Sir James 

 Burns, trustee, who is at present in 

 England, had an attack of illness in 

 London. Last accounts were to the 

 effect that he was progressing. 



Dr. J. R. M. Robertson, another 

 trustee, who is on a visit to the Old 

 Country, writes from Renfrew to say 

 that he will be back in Australia early 

 in January. He has visited a number 

 of museums, but has seen none to com- 

 pare with the Natural History Museum 

 at South Kensington. He is looking 

 forward to seeing the American Museum 

 of Natural History on the return 

 journey. 



Mr. A. R. McCulloch, who is with 

 Captain Frank Hurley's expedition to 

 New Guinea, wrote recently saying that 

 all was in readiness for the dash u]^ the 

 Fly River to Lake Murray, and a later 

 wireless message announces that the 

 party has reached the lake and are at 

 anchor opposite a headhunters" village. 



The late Mr. P. G. Black, who was for 

 forty years connected with the firm of 

 Burns, Philp & Company Ltd., made a 

 very comprehensive collection of eth- 

 nological objects from the South Seas. 

 Hls collection has now been offered for 

 sale to the trustees, who are endeavour- 

 ing to raise funds for its purchase, as 

 they feel that this fine collection should 

 be kept in Australia. 



The last lecture for the session was 

 delivered by Mr. E. le G. Troughton, on 

 November 9th, his subject being 

 "Aquatic Mammals." Since our last 

 issue, Mr. J. R. Kinghorn lectured on 

 '■ Who's Who among the Reptiles '' to 

 the Mechanics' Institute, Goulburn. 

 The attendances at the lectures during 

 the last year have been very gratifying. 



A commencement has been made 

 with the work of restoring the devas- 

 tated area lying between the north wing 

 of the Museum and William Street. 

 This unsightly cut has long been an 

 eyesore and a reproach, and it is hoped 

 that the improvements now in progress 

 will considerably enhance the appear- 

 ance of the building. 



The Museum now comes into contact 

 with outside bodies in an ever increasing 

 degree. Thus we have lately had the 

 pleasure of a number of visits by 

 members of the Naturalists' Society of 

 New South Wales. These visitors were 

 met by officers of the Museum and per- 

 sonally conducted round the galleries. 

 A party of young people from Auburn, 

 where a little circle has been formed to 

 study Anthropology and various human 

 ])roblems, came to the Museum by 

 arrangement to hear an address by Mr. 

 W. W. Thorpe, Ethnologist, on Primi- 

 tive Man. The same officer has twice 

 lectured by request to the Eugenics 

 Section of the Workers' Educational 

 Association. 



