706 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [VoL. XXXII. 
detailed discussion of these celebrated collections, brief mention 
may be made of some points in their installation. The whole 
effect is rich, handsome, and pleasing, no expenditure of time 
or money having been spared by the government or the scien- 
tific attachés of the department to render the appearance of the 
hall as attractive as possible. Some might even say that this 
effort had been carried too far, characteristic French taste 
having been allowed full play. Tables and desk cases are of 
oak, and all are comparatively small. The exhibition part of 
the desk cases has a bronze frame, the bottom of which 
is covered with silk velour of a reddish terra-cotta color, and 
most of the specimens are mounted on tablets of heavy manila 
board (4 or y inch thick) of a light brownish terra-cotta color. 
As a rule, the large specimens are placed directly upon the 
_ velour background without the use of tablets. Simple, hand- 
some supports made of brass wire are much used in both the 
desk and the upright cases for mounting specimens in the 
proper attitudes. Minute specimens are cemented to glass 
squares or rectangles backed by cardboard of the same color as 
the velour, and the whole placed on the top of a wire support. 
As -far as practicable, at least three specimens are used to 
illustrate each species of bivalve molluscs, an entire individual 
being fastened to the middle of the tablet in front, and the 
opposite detached valves being raised on wire supports on each 
side of it. Whenever needful or desirable, the specimens have 
been cut and polished to show the internal structure. The 
bronze-framed tops are excellent in that they are very tight and 
dust-proof, and that the frame presents the least possible 
obstruction to the light and to the view of the visitor, but those 
in the hall in question are hard to open, and they do not over- 
hang the lower part of the cases. To have the upper part of 
a desk or table case project beyond the sides of the base for a 
certain distance (about four inches) is important, because exhi- 
bition space is gained thereby, visitors can see the specimens 
with greater convenience, and the bottom of the case is pre- 
served from injury by boots. The upright cases have iron 
frames and a bolt lock similar to, if not identical with, the 
familiar Jenks lock. The backs of these cases are painted a 
