126 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. 



NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY 



OF 



NORTHUMBERLAND, DURHAM, AND NEWCASTLE- 

 UPON-TYNE. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE YEAR 

 1899-1900. 



The Committee have now the pleasure of congratulating the 

 members of the Society on the satisfactory completion of the 

 alteration of the roof-lights and the general repairs to the 

 walls of the Museum, and other improvements recommended 

 by their architect, Mr. F. W. Rich, in the latter part of 1898. 

 Many of the details have been mentioned in former Annual 

 Reports, but it seems advisable at the completion of the 

 alterations to give a short summary of what has been so 

 satisfactorily done. 



The most important and difficult part of the work was the 

 alteration of the whole of the roof-lights, including the glass 

 and leadwork and the slating over the three main roofs, which 

 have been entirely renewed ; the wood snow-boards have also 

 been repaired. At the same time the height of the glass 

 roofs has been considerably lowered and the inner wood-work 

 strengthened and altered. It is satisfactory to know that this 

 work has stood a severe test during the last winter, and that 

 the soundness of its design and execution has been proved, 

 as not a drop of water has penetrated into the inner rooms, 

 nor a slate been disturbed on the outer roof. 



On the east side and front of the building the joints on the 

 parapets of the roof and the open joints of the stonework have 

 been raked out, refilled, and pointed, and the defective brick- 



