REPORT ON MUSEUM WORK 287 



appear to be more or less adapted for commercial exploitation. 

 We have to thank Col. C. H. E. Adamson for the help he has 

 given us in this department by naming for us a number of 

 Asiatic butterflies. 



Mr. P. Walther has continued his work on the minerals 

 with unabated vigour, and we cannot speak too highly of the 

 service he is rendering in this department of the museum. 

 He has continued the testing of doubtful specimens, especially 

 among the metallic ores, has sorted through further batches 

 of unidentified minerals, made out a very large number of new 

 labels, and is taking various steps for more completely 

 systematizing the collection. For some time we gave one 

 evening a week to writing labels for the specimens he had 

 .been working upon. During the year Mr. Walther has also 

 negotiated for us a very useful exchange with a dealer in 

 Austria, whereby for some of our duplicates we have obtained 

 a large series of models of crystals, a number of cut precious 

 stones and some fine examples of utensils made from agate. 

 Few museums are fortunate enough to meet with an honorary 

 curator who will place at their disposal so much zeal, know- 

 ledge and practical ability. 



The exhibition of fresh wild flowers has again been success- 

 fully kept up, though the dryness of the present summer has 

 been rather against it. Mr. Randal B. Cooke's regular 

 supplies of flowers from Corbridge have been the mainstay of 

 the exhibition, as they were last year. To Mr. Cooke we 

 were also indebted for an interesting series of twigs and 

 branches in bud which occupied the flower counter during the 

 winter and early spring. 



A considerable number of spirit and formalin specimens 

 have been mounted in flat-sided jars and placed in the cases, 

 In several sections of the museum the cases have been turned 

 out and cleaned. The mammal cases have been not only 

 cleaned but repainted throughout with distemper, and their 

 general appearance has been much improved. 



