20 The Improvements effected in Modern Museums. 



from the roof, they can only be very imperfectly seen or under- 

 stood." 



The plan to mount whale skeletons as Dr. Gray proposes to 

 the Museum Trustees, is not to be recommended where visitors 

 are so indiscriminately admitted as they are in Museums in Aus- 

 tralia. I think specimens of this kind, would not suffer much 

 injury from being exposed, but it is always better to guard against 

 accidents. 



A whale skeleton with its lowest part, should be sufficiently 

 high from the ground to enable a person to walk beneath it, and, 

 if there is no gallery, to view it from above, it would be well to 

 erect a raised platform for this purpose. 



Great creatures, such as whales, look very formidable as a 

 whole, but taken to pieces they are easily managed, and I am 

 prepared at any time, having the iron work ready, to set up the 

 largest whale skeleton in two days. Our sperm whale is 35 feet 

 long, the head weighs nearly a ton, and it has never taken 24 

 hours to remove it (irons and all) from one place to another. 



The first time it was ever under shelter, was when put up in an 

 over crowded Museum, above a number of cabinets, and supported 

 within four iron arches, it was then six feet off the floor, and 

 could be viewed to great advantage from the gallery. Having 

 been removed into the new Museum, which has no gallery, it was 

 found that it could not be seen so well ; but as soon as the pave- 

 ment in the centre hall is ready, the whale will probably be 

 located there, because an excellent sight of the monster may be 

 had from the staircase. 



The skeleton being on a moveable platform, can be shifted 

 wherever it is required — another illustration of the advantage to 

 have all specimens on rollers. 



Separate rooms for every department are not necessary. I 

 think this may be desirable in England, or on the Continent, 

 where Museums are open only tw T o or three days during the week, 

 and where the professor and his students require such an arrange- 

 ment, but as our institutions are principally for the amusement 

 and instruction of the general public, we do not want separate 

 rooms. Visitors who come for the purpose of study, are always 

 admitted from 9 till 12, before the doors are open for the day. 



I now come to a very important subject, and that is, the desir- 

 ability of haviug certain specimens kept in skins for the use of 

 the student. Anybody who has inspected the first floor of the 

 new wing, will remember the fine series of Australian and Indian 

 birds kept in skins, and exhibited a pair of each in shallow glass 

 cases. Their names, the locality where, and the date when they 

 were shot, are neatly written by Mr. George Masters, underneath 

 each species, who brought this fine collectiontogether, and arranged 



