10 



INTRODUCTION. 



contiguous thereto. The front galleries are ventilated into 

 the front towers, which form the crowning feature of the 

 main front. These towers also contain, above the second 

 floor, various rooms for the work of the different heads of 

 departments, and on the topmost storey large cisterns for the 

 purpose of always having at hand a considerable storage of 

 water in case of fire. On the western side of the building, 

 where it is intended that the Zoological collection shall be 

 placed, the ornamentation of the terracotta (which will be 

 found very varied both within and without the building) has 

 been based exclusively on living organisms. On the east 

 side, where Geology and Palaeontology will find a home, the 

 terracotta ornamentation has been derived from extinct fossil- 

 iferous specimens. 



" The Museum is the largest, if not, indeed, the only, modern 

 building in which terracotta has been exclusively used foi" 

 external facades and interior wall-surfaces, including all the 

 varied decoration which this involves/' 



Delay from One of the consequences of the scheme of transferring 

 hibition ^ ne Natural History collections to a new repository has been 

 cases. the necessity of providing to a great extent new cases for ex- 

 hibiting the specimens. It was not possible to adapt the old 

 wall-cases to the galleries of a differently constructed building ; 

 and the increased space required an addition to their number. 

 The great cost of these cases has been a cause of delay in 

 moving the collections. 



The Zoological department will follow those of Geology, 

 Mineralogy and Botany in their migration to the new quarters 

 provided for them in the early part of the coming year. The 

 other three departments have arranged their collections in their 

 respective galleries. 

 Three de- The Keeper of Geology has now for the first time suitable 

 atpresent means of exhibiting his collections. In the building at Blooms- 

 removed. hury the exhibition space was limited to three entire rooms 

 and the walls of four others leading from them ; a large pro- 

 portion of the specimens being stored away in cabinets forming 

 the pedestals of the showcases for minerals. 



The history of the formation of the Geological Collection 



