WELLINGTON MUSEUM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7726, 20 February 1909, Page 1

WELLINGTON MUSEUM.

WELLINGTON, February 18. The Dominion Museum possesses an almost priceless collection of greenstone ornaments, including the splendid tiki, abou teight inches m length, which the celebrated chief Horigi took with him to. England m 1819. It is undoubtedly of great antiquity, for so prized a possession was almost certain to have descended to its bloodthirsty owner from a long line- of- ancestors. With many other valuable specimens it is. being mounted on cardboard of a quiet hue, silver wire being used so that rust: cannot damage the greenstone. Then' these highly interesting specimens will have to be packed away until they can be displayed m a building where there is adequate provision for their safety.' There have been several burglarioue visits to the) old museum, and it is not considered a suitable place for the display of such valuable historical antiquities. Only one or two bird skeletons are on view m the museum, but twenty thousand bones are stored there out of the public gaze, including Mr A. Hamilton's collection of fossil birds, probably the best extant. In a few years at most the public should be able to view all these packed-up treasures, for it it proposed to build up a suitable dominion museum at the rear of ■ the old Parliament buildings.