CABINETS; CASING UP WITH ROCKWORK, ETC. 239 



side, wliicli fit into grooves cut in the carcase of the cabinet, 

 and so arranged by a little calculation that a shallow drawer 

 can immediately be inserted in the place previously occupied 

 by a deep one, or vice versa — i.e., a, deep 6in. drawer, which may 

 be No. 30, at the bottom, can be pushed upwards at any inter- 

 mediate point between that and JS'o. 1. The modus operandi 

 is as follows : Whatever the depth decided on of the drawers, 

 the carcase is grooved all the way down to half the depth of 

 the shallowest drawer, if in even inches, or to a multiple of 

 each drawer if otherwise. Example : Take a foot rule and 

 mark off lOin. on a piece of paper, dividing it into alternate half 

 inches making, of course, twenty half inches; this represents the 

 carcase. Then take some strips of paper or cardboard, which 

 cut to lin., liin., 2in., 2iin. and 3in. respectively, total lOin. 

 These represent the drawers ; putting them in their order, they 

 win, of course, fit in the lOin. Now change them about, top 

 to bottom, or bottom in the middle, or in any way that you 

 like, and you will find that they will always fall in a groove, 

 leaving room for the others, when pushed down, without any 

 open space between. 



The same method is adopted in the cabinets under the 

 invertebrate show cases in the Liverpool Museum, which I 

 recently visited under the able guidance of the clever and 

 genial curator, Mr. Moore, so well known, together with 

 his family, in connection with many unique and beautiful 

 osteological preparations. 



Casing- up v^ith E/OCKwoek, etc. — Brown paper was 

 formerly the piece de resistance of those who aspired to imitate 

 rocks on which to place or to surround their animals. It was 

 used by being first soaked in water and drawn over pieces of 

 wood, boxes, or large cinders even, to give shape. It was then 

 glued, and small stones and sand thrown on. Usually 

 uncoloured, it revealed itself in its naked ugliness, and looked 

 what it was — paper. Later, it was more artistically arranged, 

 and when divested of folds by the application of more paper, 

 plenty of glue, and well coloured, it certainly looked decent. 

 Then came peat, a glorious innovation for quick, if not artistic, 

 work. This dried earth, dug from bogs, admits of being 

 carved and shaped to almost any form. Sandstone and some 



