REPORT ON MUSEUM WORK 259 



CURATOR'S REPORT ON MUSEUM WORK 



1911-1912 



To a considerable extent the work of the museum during 

 the past year has been a continuation of that which chiefly 

 occupied us in the year preceding it. Making casts of fishes, 

 for example, has again been one of our principal lines of 

 work. We have still further improved our methods, and our 

 results with all kinds of fishes, now show a practically uniform 

 level of success. The majority of the casts that we have 

 made are those of marketable marine fishes, but we have cast 

 a number of other interesting fishes as well. We have also 

 taken casts of a few animals other than fishes, including one 

 or two snakes and a dolphin. Snakes proved very easy to 

 deal with in comparison with fishes. The dolphin was 

 an example of the rather uncommon white-sided species, 

 Lagenorhynchus acutus ; it was caught off the mouth of the 

 Tyne, and measured nearly eight feet in length. As usual in 

 the case of such a large cast as this, we are making the model 

 in paper. 



We have made fair progress with the large combined 

 reference collection of beetles. The cabinets are now at the 

 museum — previously we were working upon them at Mr. 

 Bagnall's house at Penshaw — and this saves a good deal of 

 time. We are now also in a position to make a beginning 

 upon the new exhibited collection of insects. A range of 

 desk-cases surmounted by a central row of upright cases has 

 been adapted for its reception, and some of the material, 

 chiefly exotic beetles and butterflies, is practically ready to be 

 installed. A rather elaborate and somewhat costly system of 

 shutters has had to be fitted to the cases to keep the light 

 from the specimens when they are not actually being 

 examined ; without some such protection most insects are 

 quickly spoilt. 



Another matter which was referred to in the last report was 

 the making of a tank in which to exhibit the giant squid 



