3 14 REPORT ON MUSEUM WORK. 



elsewhere in the museum, the series of horns in the entrance 

 hall, and also to a smaller extent upon the mammals and the 

 ethnology collection. In every case a gratifying improvement 

 has been produced. The old labels for the horns and for the 

 large objects referred to above had been unprotected, and had 

 in consequence quickly acquired a dirty and neglected appear- 

 ance. The effect of the new labels, printed and neatly bound 

 behind glass, is as in all similar instances to make the objects 

 at once appear much better worth looking at. 



The remounting and re-labelling of the Pakeozoic fossils 

 was continued as long as it was necessary for Wm. Voutt to 

 remain at the door. By the end of that time all the fossils on 

 the south side of the geology room had been dealt with. 

 Since Miss Conradi has been working regularly m the new 

 front office, much" of her time has been spent upon the general 

 shell collection. The change brought about by both of these 

 pieces of work is very pleasing. The remounting of the shells 

 is much hindered by the necessity of dealing with a kind of 

 corrosion to which shells kept in closed cases are liable. A 

 large proportion of the shells in this museum are more or less 

 affected by it, and the treatment by which we are endeavouring 

 to remedy it is rendered more complicated through the fact 

 that the identity of the specimens must be preserved through- 

 out. The new labels for the shells are being done with the 

 typewriter. The use of type-written labels in museums is 

 necessarily restricted, but in this particular instance they 

 prove very suitable. The typewriter has also been satis- 

 factorily employed for general descriptive labels in different 

 departments. 



It was mentioned in the last report that the birds added to 

 the Hancock collection since the original installation were 

 being labelled in uniformity with the rest; this has now been 

 completed. Another and more formidable work in this 

 section is being carried out by Wm. Voutt. The cases of 

 the Hancock birds were originally lined with white paper. 

 This has gradually become discoloured by the resin of the 

 wood, until at last the general aspect of the bird room has been 



