292 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. 



Lighted oil lamps were placed in all the large rooms, in case 

 the electric light should fail. 



The President of the North of England Microscopical Society 

 which numbers about seventy members, laid a request before 

 the Committee for permission for the officers of that Society to 

 deposit their books and specimens in some part of the Museum, 

 and expressed a desire that the Microscopical Society might be 

 able to obtain the use of rooms for holding their evening meet- 

 ings in the Museum. The Committee have cordially granted 

 this request, so far as the depositing of books and specimens is 

 concerned during their pleasure ; but as the question of lighting 

 the Museum is still under discussion, the latter request for hold- 

 ing meetings in the Museum was left open. 



It became necessary during the year to examine the state of 

 the roof of the Building, when it was found that the woodwork 

 required repainting, the glass fresh putty, and the slates slight 

 repairs. Estimates were obtained and accepted, the painting 

 and glazing £42 : 4 : 0, and for slater's work £5:9:3, making 

 a total of £47 : 13 : 3. These are the largest incidental ex- 

 penses your^Committee have been called upon to meet during 

 the year. 



Considerable improvement has been effected in the Hancock 

 Bird Boom, by the removal of the groups of Foreign Birds to 

 the cases reserved for a typical collection of Birds in the Gallery 

 of the same room. It is hoped, as soon as funds can be raised 

 to procure cases, that this important part of the Bird Collection 

 will be proceeded with, and made somewhat more complete and 

 instructive. 



General labels have been placed on all the mineral and palse- 

 ontological cases in the Geological Room, so that students and 

 others interested in geology can now more readily refer to the 

 specimens. 



The Committee have also decided to give free access during 

 Museum hours to the Professors and Students of the Durham 

 Physical College, many of whom have availed themselves of this 

 privilege. 



