xl REPOET ON MUSEUM WORK 



New Year, brought an influx of visitors, in most cases the 

 numbers being in excess of those of previous years. The 

 total attendances show a very great advance, upwards of 

 31,000 visiting the Museum during the year, as 'against 22,000 

 last year, and 17,000 the previous year. 



Papers of questions for boys and girls have again been 

 given out, the number at the New Year holiday reaching high- 

 water mark, being 124 papers taken and answered during 

 three days of special holiday. As was to be expected the 

 demand for these papers has fallen off for the summer, but a 

 fair number have since been given out, and in most cases well 

 answered. 



The display of Wild Flowers in the Entrance Hall has been 

 well maintained, thanks chiefly to the kind assistance of Mr, 

 Randle B. Cooke, who has been indefatigable in bringing 

 specimens. We are also indebted to Mr. Nicholas Temperley 

 and other naturalists for further contributions. Prof. Potter, 

 head of the Botanical Department of Armstrong College, has 

 set out for exhibition a number of specimens illustrating plant 

 diseases, and showing the ravages of insects on potatoes, 

 cabbage, wheat, and other plants; Through the kindness of 

 Mr. Harper Gray, M.A,, M.Sc, of the Agricultural Zoology 

 Department of the College we have been able to exhibit a 

 large number of cases of Insect Pests, chiefly those injurious 

 to plant life. Each case shows the life history of the insect, 

 and directions are given for checking its ravages. 



In the late autumn a course of four Saturday afternoon 

 lectures on Economic Botany was given in the Museum by 

 Prof. Potter and two of his lady assistants. These were fairly 

 well attended, and dealt with such practical subjects as 

 "A Loaf of Bread," "Sugar," "The Potato and its Diseases','' 

 " Yeast." 



Another lecture given in the Museum in the early summer, 

 was by Prof. Hatton, Principal of the King Edward VII. 

 School of Art. He dealt with the " Inter[)retation of Nature, 



