No. 381.] NOTES ON SOME EUROPEAN MUSEUMS. JOI 
mussels and theirs, and squids. In the molluscan collection 
many of the species have alcoholic preparations of the entire 
animals displayed in the cases beside the corresponding dry 
shells. Most of the insects on exhibition are in very shallow 
glass-covered boxes, which are held in frames in such a manner 
that they may be removed at will. These frames form “A”’-shaped 
tops on table cases. Wings are mounted between glass plates 
and hung in the windows. A termite nest, more than six feet 
high, is one of the striking objects in this department. 
Russia. — Although I visited museums in St. Petersburg, 
Moscow, Kazan, Perm, Nijni Tagilsk, Ekaterinburg, Kychtym, 
Oufa, Kharkow, and Tiflis, all can be dismissed with a few 
words, because, as a_rule, the methods of installation in vogue 
are not to be recommended. Poorly lighted halls prevail, with 
flat-topped table cases and high upright and wall cases. These 
are usually made of pine, with small panes of glass, and inade- 
quate protection from dust. The collections cannot be said to 
be well classified, except at the universities of Kazan, Moscow, 
and Kharkow, and at Tiflis. Commendation, however, rather 
than blame should be rendered the authorities of the smaller 
towns, because something, at any rate, has been done to get 
together and preserve objects of interest from the district in 
which the museum is located, — which is more than has been 
done by most towns of similar size and importance in countries 
which consider themselves ahead of Russia in such matters. 
The evils of faulty classification are illustrated in the mineral 
collection of the Imperial Mining Institute, in St. Petersburg. 
This collection has a world-wide reputation for the marvelous 
size, perfection, and beauty of some of its specimens, but it is 
difficult to find some of the most noted of these, because the 
minerals seem not to be arranged according to any system of 
classification that is recognized in western Europe, England, or 
America, even those of the same species not being kept together. 
Labels and locality cards are lacking from a large part of the 
collection, rendering it in so far useless to the average visitor 
and greatly lessening its value to the mineralogist. 
Naples, — The only geological and mineralogical collections 
in Naples that are accessible to the public are contained in the 
