Report of Society's Meetings. 201 
with gratitude the ready assistance and promises of help 
of various ladies, and notably Miss Lucas and Mrs. 
Fred. White, whose artistic accomplishments have aided 
me where my own capabilities were sadly deficient. 
Revision of the groups of the Chelonia, Crocodilia, 
Selachia, and of many groups of Birds, has also been 
accomplished, so far as based on Museum specimens. 
Sets of special and desirable specimens have been 
forwarded to London to be mounted, and are now due 
back from the taxidermist. Sets of new flat exhibition 
cases, and cabinet and insect cases, are in course of 
construction, to be paid for out of the remainder of the 
special funds collected by Mr. Hawtayne, during his 
Presidency, for Museum cases and fittings, 
Conservation, — The conservation of specimens which 
yearly occupies a considerable portion of the time of the 
staff, has been carried on as far as possible. The older 
as well as the newer parts of the collection, require con- 
stant inspection and attention, due primarily to the 
marked changes of weather, with the consequent 
development of moulds and mildews, and to the incur- 
sion of various minute and hardy insects. The badly 
fitted doors of the old upright cases are also responsible 
for a great deal of the extra attention, since the vapour 
of the napthalene, used as an insecticide in the cases, 
readily diffuses out through the wide interspaces along 
the fittings of the doors. The accessions among the 
Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, and Fishes, have been 
skinned and preserved, and in many cases mounted and 
incorporated in the exhibited series. Various osteo- 
logical preparations, chiefly the skulls of various types, 
have been made ; and the Insect collection has been 
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