CASES AND MOUNTS FOR ENCLOSING SPECIMENS 413 



tinted " sky " inside. Velvet or chenille laid around the groove 

 outside the glass completes the mount if necessary. 



" Mounts " can also be made with a carved wood or gilt 

 frame of some considerable depth, and of any shape, with a 

 groove around the edge, into which is fitted a sheet of glass, 

 either plain or " sprung." When " sprung," however, the 

 raison d'etre for the depth of the frame vanishes, especially as 

 flat glass usually shows up included specimens better, and can 

 be fitted with a carved border laid over it. These mounts, 

 which, if large, are better oval in shape, can be hung up or used 

 on a standard as a " screen." 



Another style of " screen " is presumably useful to place in 

 front of the fire, but, as it is seldom or never used for such a 

 purpose, the name is somewhat of a misnomer, and screen-mount 

 would perhaps express it better. It is made in all materials, 

 from bamboo and fancy woods to deal, gilded or black, and 

 consists of two sheets of glass enclosed in a framework of 

 turned and carved wood, with a handle on the top, and stands 

 upon the floor upon splayed or carved feet. It usually con- 

 tains brilliantly-plumaged exotic birds, or butterflies, seaweeds, 

 pressed ferns, or other objects, and although very suitable for a 

 room, especially when it can be used as a fire-screen, for which 

 it is not difficult to arrange, it is quite unsuitable for anything 

 but decorative purposes. 



For purely decorative purposes, as furniture for, say, some 

 private entrance-hall, the work of the case and of the stand 

 itself may be, and probably should be, much more elaborate, 

 and such a case is shown on Plate XXL, which represents one 

 designed, and enclosing various water -fowl, for a certain well- 

 known philanthropist of Birmingham. 



Another elegant pattern, which may be called the picture- 

 frame mount, and which is far superior to the ordinary round 

 or oval mounts, is, when enriched by gilt or carved mouldings. 



