REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND STATE GEOLOGIST 1902 rl47 



lighted, as these colors do not reflect the light as well as the 

 lighter shades. 



Here, as in other museums on the continent, the use of iron 

 for the frames of cases is quite common. 



Prague. The type collections in this museum are particularly 

 tine. Dry specimens are placed on light brown porcelain bases 

 with light green labels. The type collection of insects is in flat 

 cases (covered with black cardboard, to be raised by the visitor), 

 and the upright cases between these are filled with models, 

 nests, examples of mimicry, etc. An interesting exhibit was 

 that of scorpions, showing dry and disarticulated specimens 

 and their allies together with the fossil forms. 



Particularly interesting or valuable specimens among the 

 mammals and birds are placed in glass boxes in the cases. 



Dresden. The Koyal Museum in Dresden is the one which, in 

 the views of the present writer, comes closest to the type 

 which the New York State Museum should be. Here the entrance 

 hall and adjoining rooms contain a collection of the local forms 

 of Saxony, and the remainder of the museum is filled with a 

 type collection. 



This has the advantage of showing, within a limited space, 

 the forms which are seen most commonly by the observer and 

 enables him to identify them with ease. From this he can 

 pass on to an examination of the more unfamiliar forms. 



Many of the details of the exhibits are worthy of special 

 mention and copy. Among these may be mentioned the fish 

 painted with water colors, a method which the writer regards 

 as being the only satisfactory one. of exhibiting that difficult 

 group. The process has been described by Dr V. Brun, of Ham- 

 burg, where it has been carried out to a greater extent than at 

 Dresden, but this was the first place in which the writer had 

 seen specimens. The process consists of hardening the fish in 

 as natural a shape as possible and painting the specimen with 

 water colors. It is then mounted in alcohol in a horizontal 

 position against a white glass plate, which is placed in a 

 square jar. 



