REPORT ON MUSEUM WORK 21 7 



representative, and often a very large series of flowering plants 

 on show. They appear to have greatly interested many of 

 our visitors. We have been much indebted to several 

 members, and above all to Mr. B. Amsden, for supplies of 

 fresh blossoms ; Mr. Amsden's kind and constant help, indeed, 

 has been one of the chief factors in making the exhibit a 

 possibility. 



Among the minor pieces of work that are worth mentioning 

 is the stuffing of the condor. This celebrated bird was 

 presented to the Society twenty-five years ago, as a nestling 

 fresh from Chile, by the late Dr. H. Salvin Pattinson and Mr. 

 W. C. Tripler. It had developed into a fine adult female, a 

 very healthy bird, and it was a surprise as well as a grief to 

 us when it succumbed last June to an unusually heavy moult. 

 We have mounted it in its most characteristic attitude of 

 repose. Happily, too, we shall be able to show it to 

 advantage, for Mr. John Pattinson is very kindly providing 

 us with a good pedestal case for it. 



We have set up half-a-dozen other birds during the year, 

 all good additions to the Hancock collection. A number of 

 spirit preparations have been mounted, a fine series of marine 

 invertebrates from Naples and Plymouth constituting the 

 majority of them, and these have greatly improved the 

 section of the museum to which they belong. We have had 

 the central upright portions of the invertebrate cases altered 

 so that they can be opened on both sides all along; this 

 enables us to put in a median partition wherever we wish, 

 and so to make fuller use of the space. A considerable 

 amount of labelling has been done in different departments 

 during the year, and additional specimens have been installed 

 in nearly all sections of the museum. Preparations for the 

 conversazione occupied the whole staff pretty fully for three 

 weeks or more. 



Some alterations to the heating apparatus were reported 

 last year, and after the test of the winter's use we are able to 

 say that the result is very satisfactory. The circulation of the 



