LABELLING ON THE OLD SYSTEM. 335 



groups, such, as of necessity the greater number of pairs of local 

 birds would cut up into, would be lost amidst their larger 

 surroundings, and be really as if an artist were to paint a 

 small, highly finished picture in the corner of some large, 

 "broad" subject; secondly, the great difficulty there is in 

 protecting such choice groups from moth if exposed in, say, a 

 cubic space of 100ft. filled with other specimens, some of 

 them old and doubtful as regards freedom from insects. A 

 general collection, even should great care be taken, requires 

 constant watching to seize upon any specimen showing signs of 

 damage ; but why a choice group of young birds in their nest, 

 with parents — birds in change of plumage, surrounded by 

 accessories which perhaps have cost hundreds of hours to 

 execute — should be exposed to all the evils imaginable when 

 isolation is so much more practicable and practical, passes 

 comprehension. 



No ; I am convinced that the only way to manage, in a museum 

 of sufficient size to have a general collection, is to arrange it as I 

 have sketched out, and to make a separate collection close at 



hand, if need be, for comparison of the animals collected in the 



district. 

 Now for labelling. It was proposed originally in " Scheme A" 



in this form : 



*'It will be essential to have labels in the cases. These may be 



made simple, however, with references to a descriptive catalogue. 



The labels should bear the English name, with ' Resident,' 



* Summer Visitant,' or ' Winter Yisitant ' on all British species. 



Nothing more. 



" The three sections should have labels of distinct colours — • 



Gay, yellow for local, pinh for British, white for foreign. The 



labels will probably be best glued on to some part of the stand or 



setting. They should be as small as possible, so as to be legible. 

 " Local species may be distinguished as ' Native ' and ' Casual, 



or Accidental. 



" The latter might have a dark line above, and below the name 



on the label — thus, Stork, or be marked ' Casual — Spring,' or 



' Casual — Autumn.' " 



To this I objected that if the arrangement was to be "pictorial," 



the " spotty " appearance of labels, especially if of light tints 



