DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY. 91 



Department of Zoology. 



I. — Arrangeonent and Conservation. 



A very extensive change is now being carried out through- 

 out the exhibited collection of mammals and birds, which 

 involves considerable labour on the part of the Museum 

 staif of carpenters and attendants. The polished sycamore 

 stands, which have been for very many years universally 

 adopted throughout the Zoological Department of the 

 Museum, have not been considered satisfactory. Their light 

 colour and reflecting surfaces obtrude themselves upon the 

 attention of the visitors, and do not harmonise with the 

 general tone of the specimens. After many experiments o 

 different colours and kinds of surface it was finally resolved, 

 upon the recommendation of the late Lord Leighton, P.R.A., to 

 adopt for the majority of the stands (though varied in 

 individual cases) a dull surface of a dark brown, produced 

 by staining the wood. The formal turned perches on 

 which the birds and arboreal mammals were mounted, and 

 which necessitated a perfect uniformity of position, are being- 

 replaced by pieces of natural branches, allowing the taxi- 

 dermist far greater freedom and variety in mounting the 

 specimens. 



The usual precautions have been taken for the preservation 

 of the collections. All acquisitions have been registered and 

 entered in the Catalogues and manuscript lists, and finally 

 incorporated with the collection. 



Mammalia. — The exhibited part of the collection of 

 Mammalia is now being entirely re- arranged, with the assist- 

 ance of Mr. R. Lydekker and consequently very considerable 

 changes have been made in the positions of the specimens, the 

 numbers exhibited, and in the methods of mounting and 

 labelling. Large numbers of specimens have been withdrawn 

 as unsuitable for exhibition, and, so far as possible, fresh and 

 better stuff"ed examples have been obtained to fill up all 

 important gaps in the series. 



As by the new method of exhibition in each Order of 

 Mammals, skeletons are shown side by side with the 

 mounted animals, as well as illustrative extinct species, it 

 has been thought better to bring together in one the two 

 series of skeletons and stuff"ed specimens hitherto separa- 

 tely exhibited in the Osteological and Mammal Galleries 

 respectively. This combined exhibition will occupy the whole 

 of the present Mammal Gallery and about half of the Osteo- 

 logical Gallery, and it is proposed to utilise the further half 



0.125. of 



