REPORT ON MUSEUM WORK. 479 



CURATOR'S REPORT ON MUSEUM WORK. 

 1905-1906. 



Several of the pieces of work mentioned in the report for 

 last year have been continued in the year under review. Two 

 of them in fact have constituted the chief work accomplished, 

 namely, the remounting of the shells, and the cleaning and 

 painting of the cases containing the Hancock birds. The 

 remounting of the shells included cleaning and special treat- 

 ment to remedy the corrosion with which many were attacked, 

 refixing on freshly covered tablets with new type-written labels, 

 and replacement in the cases upon sloping false-bottoms in- 

 stead of, as before, upon the flat floor of the case. Finally 

 the arrangement and labelling had to be revised, and in this 

 Miss M. V. Lebour has very kindly been giving expert 

 assistance. The work on the shell collection is now practically 

 completed. The painting of the Hancock bird cases is also 

 nearly at an end, and the result is a striking improvement in 

 the general appearance of the bird room. The old paper 

 lining of the cases, which was becoming discoloured, has been 

 removed, and the paint that has been substituted for it is 

 likely to prove much more lasting. 



Work in a number of other directions has also been done in 

 the course of the year. In the zoology room we are gradually 

 replacing the old labels by new printed ones ; this will soon 

 have been done throughout the mammal cases, and from 

 those that are already finished it is evident that it will produce 

 a marked change for the better. Labels have also been printed 

 for various other objects in the zoology room, and for Mr. 

 Harold Cookson's big game heads. In the ethnology corridor 

 a considerable amount of re-arrangement has been necessary 

 to incorporate fresh acquisitions, and a good many new or 

 revised labels have been printed. The birds from Mr. George 

 Bolam's collection have been worked into their places in the 

 bird room, and during the year I have set up several fresh 

 birds for the museum. Some more rectangular jars containing 

 specimens in spirit or formalin have been fitted up ; much 



