H—33

12

would, interest chiefly the local collector or observer, the student, and all who for any reason wanted special information. Adjacent to this collection in each department should be a room for the students containing study series of specimens that might be handled, and a small library of works of reference. (3.) The reserve collections, not on exhibition, for the research Worker. The manner in which such a system would work in detail may be made more clear by consideration of a few classes of specimens. Rocks. —A complete collection of different kinds of rocks and another of New Zealand rocks would be aimed at in the specialists' museum. The reserve collection would contain rocks that had formed the material for special researches, a collection of rocks to illustrate the geology of different localities in New Zealand, duplicates for exchange, and all fresh acquisitions that had not been studied and classified. In the people's museum all that would be shown would be a small series (twenty or thirty specimens) of the rocks of most common occurrence in the country, another small series (five or six specimens) of the rocks which are peculiar to New Zealand, and a small collection of the rocks used for building-stones in the Dominion. The visitor to New Zealand would see at once the varieties of rocks he Was likely to meet with in his travels, and the resident in New Zealand would be able to identify the common rocks in his district, without becoming bewildered by the hundreds of names that would be necessary in the collection for the specialists' collection. New Zealand Shells. The specialists' collection would contain as complete a collection as possible of the shells of the Dominion. The reserve collection would contain all type specimens, series of each species to illustrate stages of growth, extent of variation, abnormal developments, &c, duplicates available for exchange, and collections that had not been, critically examined, fn the people's collection small series would be shown of the commoner or more beautiful shells, those of types peculiar to New Zealand, edible molluscs, boring-molluscs, or similar series showing shells in other relationships than those of genus and species. Maori Weapons. The people's museum would contain one or two good examples of each class of Maori weapon, all arranged in one case, so that a complete view of the types of weapon used could be obtained at once. In the specialists' museum, there would be a series of examples of each type of weapon, illustrating differences of form, ornament, and material. In the reserve collection there would be further series of each type, to be drawn on if it Was desired at any time to exhibit more examples in different relationships. If this threefold division is to be adopted in the Dominion Museum the new building must be specially designed to that end. IV. THE ACQUISITION OF SPECIMENS. Collections may be obtained through gift, by collecting and exploration, by exchange, by purchase, by construction, and temporarily through deposit or loan. Acquisition through gift or deposit is largely influenced by the state of the museum administration. " To him that hath shall be given, and from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." It is a matter of common knowledge that many large and valuable collections are destined 'for the Dominion Museum as soon as it is housed in a fireproof building with sufficient space to display its collections. " Collections which are encumbered by conditions as to manner of disposition and installation are usually sources of serious embarrassment. It is specially undesirable to accept, either as a gift or as a loan, any unimportant collection with the pledge that it shall be kept intact and installed as a unit. The acceptance of any collection, no matter how important, encumbered by conditions is a serious matte i , , since no one can foresee; how much these conditions may interfere with the future development of the museum, (lifts, deposits, and co-operation of all kinds may be greatly encouraged by liberal acknowledgments upon labels and in public reports. This is but simple justice to the generosity of the benefactor." (Brown-Goode.) Natural history and archaeological collections may most profitably be acquired by collecting and exploration, since not only are the requisite specimens thus obtained, and in such numbers as to furnish duplicate material for exchange, but the very exploration leads to the discovery of new facts. Moreover, it is a great advantage that those who are to arrange and study specimens should collect their own material, so that no details of locality or occurrence are lost. The enthusiasm and vitality essential to museum-Work are more fully sustained if the exhaustive indoor work is varied by occasional periods of outdoor collecting. The field for collecting and exploration before the Dominion Museum is very great, and should undoubtedly be availed of by a, systematic plan of operations. The remaining areas of native bush and the mountain meadows will yield many desirable plants and land-animals ; the lakes and streams contain many shells, insects, and crustaceans not represented in the Museum collections ; the submarine shelf surroxinding the Islands is only partially explored as yet; the Chatham Islands are virgin ground for many classes of specimens ; extinct-bird bones are still to be found in caves in limestone districts ; Maori pa, midden, and quarry sites may yield important results with careful excavation ; while rocks, minerals, or fossils are to be obtained in all parts of the Dominion. Collecting and exploration can only profitably be carried out by trained men, and if the services of the Museum staff are to be relied on for this purpose the number of the staff must be largely increased, and the funds for travelling-expenses must be greatly expanded. When the policy of the Museum is definitely settled, and it is known exactly what classes of specimens are desired, much may be done to augment the collections by a system of exchange. The necessary supply of duplicates can be obtained by collection, and exploration, and by the construction of replicas of the best examples of Maori art. The preparation of material for exchange occupies a