njRNITUEE OF THE LEICESTER MUSEUM. 319 



The cases themselves were framed in oak, rising 10ft. from 

 tlae floor, thus — 1ft. S^in. of plinth and frames, enclosing 

 panelled gratings to allow the hot air to escape ; on this the 

 wooden bottoms of the range was built; then S^in. and Sin. 

 frame at bottom and top, enclosing 7ft. 6in. space for glass, and 

 Sin. frieze moulding ; the divisions of each were aiTanged to 

 suit the space at disposal to represent all orders of vertebrates. 

 The doors or sashes were round-headed and glazed with plate 

 glass, three plates of which were 7ft. 6in. by 4ft. 45in.; eight, 

 7ft. 6in. by 4ft. Gin. ; eleven, 7ft. 6in. by 5ft. lin. ; eleven, 7ft. Gin. 

 by 5ft. 2^in. ; one, 7ft. Gin. by 4ft. 7iin. ; and three, 7ft. Gin. by 

 4ft. lin.; thirty-seven plates in all. All but twelve of the 

 cases were 2ft. Gin. from back to front, these twelve being 3ft. 

 from back to front, all glazed at the top, to admit light, by 

 glass fixed in iron _|_-pieces at intervals of 2ft. Gin., making 

 two divisions. To these, two cases were subsequently added; 

 one, 7ft. Gin. by 2ft. Gin.; the other, 7ft. Gin. by Gft. The division 

 frames, being rebated and lined with " moleskin," had the 

 sashes, previously glazed from the inside, lifted in and screwed 

 to them, the screw heads being hidden by turned " buttons " 

 of oak. I objected to these doors or sashes being hung in the 

 ordinary manner, it being so difficult to hinge large and weighty 

 frames without danger of "twisting" or of straining the sur- 

 rounding parts, to say nothing of the almost impossibility of 

 keeping dust from getting in through hinged doors; accordingly 

 it was felt that, although there might be a little inconvenience 

 in unscrewing the eight or ten screws which held them in their 

 places, yet that the trouble of their removal, not being an 

 every-day occurrence, in any instance, would be more than 

 compensated by the increased strength, and air and dust-proof 

 advantages. (That these predictions were justified is proved 

 by the fact that the cases, being filled, were opened at the 

 end of 1883 to allow of their contents being photographed — 

 without the intervention of glass — and the air which then 

 issued from them was strongly charged with turpentine and 

 other agents used about the birds, and the rockwork, nearly 

 two years before, whilst not a particle of dust was observable 

 anywhere.) These cases were, as regards workmanship, strongly 

 and well made by a local man, working under my direction, 



