256 



THE AU8TRALTAX ^lUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



of great interest to the public, must be 

 sacrificed. 



Like many other museums ours has 

 suffered from the iaikire to make 

 adequate ])rovision for the storing, as 

 distinguished from the exhibiting, of 

 specimens. Storage is just as im- 

 portant as exhibition, if the museum is 

 to be not only a repository for natural 

 history or other objects but also a re- 

 search institution. Large series of 

 specimens are necessary for study and 

 comparison, and these should be housed 

 in a safe place where they are readily 

 accessible. In the Australian Museum 

 the reserve and reference collections are 

 for the most part accommodated in 

 darksome basements or in unsightly 

 galvanized-iron sheds, which on account 

 of the large amount of wood used in their 

 construction are badly infected with 

 white ant and also liable to fire risk. 

 This should not be, and, when an 

 extension of the building is planned, 

 adequate and suitable provision for 

 storage should be made. 



An important adjunct to a museum 

 is its library and this constantly in- 

 creases in volume. Our library con- 

 tains a very valuable collection of 

 scientific books and journals, and 

 specialists in other States and even in 



New Zealand, who find it necesstn-y to 

 consult works otherwise beyond their 

 reach, frequently appeal to us for hel]). 

 But the library of the Australian 

 Museum has outgrown the space as- 

 signed to it and has overflowed into 

 corridors and into a basement which 

 is not at all suitable for the safe custody 

 of books. This entails consideral)le 

 inconvenience and waste of valual)le 

 time. Moreover the library lacks a 

 reading room, where those, members 

 of the staff or others, who wish to 

 consult its treasures may do so in 

 comfort . 



The Lecture Hall has fulfilled a useful 

 purpose. Our lectures have become 

 so popular and well attended that as a 

 general rule the acconnnodation is 

 inadequate, and more than once a large 

 number of people have been unable to 

 obtain even standing room . If a larger 

 hall were provided the present one 

 could be converted to other uses or 

 reserved for special smaller audience. 



The State Government has in the 

 ])ast extended a generous measure of 

 supiiort to the Australian Museum, 

 in ^\•hich a large amount of capital is 

 now, in a manner, invested. To get 

 the fullest return from this cai^ital an 

 extension of the buildings is now 

 essential. 



By the death of :\Ir. G. McRae, 

 Trustee, the Museum has suffered a 

 distinct loss. Mr. McRae, who only 

 recently retired from the position of 

 Government Architect, had been as- 

 sociated with this institution since 

 May, 1921, and his professional advice 

 and assistance was at all times highly 

 esteemed by his co -Trustees. 



During the past year the Gallery 

 Collection of Insects has been subject 

 to much revision and alteration. A 

 new departure from the old system has 

 been the placing of labels at the head of 

 each order and family giving a brief 

 resume of their characters. This, it 



is hoped, will assist in the elucidation 

 of insects, enabling the tyro to at once 

 identify his material. 



The great changes which specialists 

 are to-day making in the old nomen- 

 clature has necessitated the re-naming 

 of many old insect friends, therefore, 

 in labelling the species the better 

 known name has been placed as a 

 synonym beneath the correct name. 



The Australian insects may still be 

 found in the wall cases, with the ex- 

 ception of the beetles, which have been 

 placed in the table cases over-looking 

 the Fossil Gallery. 



Some of the groups are still under 

 revision, which accounts for any bare 

 ])auels that may be seen in the cases. 



