REPORT ON MUSEUM WORK Vll 



CURATOR'S REPORT ON MUSEUM WORK 



1913-1914. 



The reports which I present each year will give some idea 

 of the work actually accomplished in the Museum, but it may 

 be worth while for once to include something more, namely a 

 brief summary of the various pieces of work we have not 

 accomplished, but which are more or less in hand or in 

 temporary abeyance. It is these which constitute the real 

 worry of trying to carry on the work of a large museum with 

 a small staff. Definite progress can only be made by con- 

 centrating upon one line of work at a time. But meanwhile 

 small miscellaneous jobs accumulate ; and further, it nearly 

 always happens that before we have properly finished the 

 work we have concentrated upon, something else has become 

 so urgent that we have to divert our energies to it and leave 

 one more piece of work on the " temporarily in abeyance " 

 list. Our position at the present time in regard to the most 

 necessary museum work is shown in the following table : — 



Actually in hand: 



Butterflies, Eltringham collection, practically finished. 



Minerals— work in Mr. Walther's hands. 



Skeleton of lion. 



British butterflies and moths. 



In temp07-ary abeyance : 



Exotic moths. 



British beetles, reference collection. 

 Fish casts, painting and finishing. 

 Skeleton of whale. 



In longer-standing abeyance : 



Marine invertebrates (much done several years ago, but much still 



to do in arranging and labelling). 

 Small skeletons. 

 Geological introductory cases. 

 White whale model — alterations. 

 Printing of labels (much waiting to be done in all parts of museum). 



