No. 394-.] NOTES ON EUROPEAN MUSEUMS. 767 
are already under way. Yet many of the peculiarities of the 
present building have been turned to good account in the 
present installation, and the museum furnishes a good illustra- 
tion of- how much a little ingenuity will do in overcoming limi- 
tations of space and light. The geological collections at the 
time of my visit were largely undergoing a change of installa- 
tion so that I could not judge what their future appearance 
was to be. The zodlogical and ethnological collections were, 
however, quite fully installed. In these there was evidence of 
much thought and care in the installation, and many original 
and unique devices were to be seen. The cases are all of metal 
and glass, this being one of the few museums where this sort 
of case has been adopted. They are likewise largely uniform 
in type, being vertical floor cases about 10 feet high and per- 
haps 6 feet square. These are raised from the floor about 
8 inches by legs. Such cases would usually be considered too 
large and deep for the proper display of small specimens, but by 
the use of a set of shelves narrowing toward the top, a pyram- 
idal installation is secured, and even small specimens show 
up surprisingly well. The case interiors are cream white. 
Where wall cases are desired a case half the thickness, but of 
the same type, is employed. The top and often the sides of 
the case are fitted with ground glass. The doors are fastened 
by a vertical rod on the outside. The sashes of each door are 
so arranged as to have three long panes along the line of vision, 
with a row of shorter panes above and below. Thus the 
immediate field of ordinary vision is made large and glass is 
economized. The shelves are of glass and are supported on 
brackets of simple angle irons which are screwed to the wall 
plates with thumbscrews, or fit into a series of slots. Quite 
as often the brackets are fastened in front and project back- 
ward the width of the shelf, the evident purpose being to bring 
the contents of the case as near the eye as possible. The rows 
of slots are covered by thin strips of metal painted the color of 
the case interior, and thus the unsightly holes which usually 
accompany adjustable shelves are not to be seen. The metal 
and glass plan is followed throughout, even the trays used to 
hold the specimens, and the label holders, being of tin, while 
