THE AUCKLAND MUSEUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6696, 4 May 1883, Page 5

THE AUCKLAND MUSEUM.

Last session, an Act;was passed; -giving, endowment to the: Auckland Museum; For: several sessions the attempt; had-been.,made, but at laßt the active aid oftho-Government was obtained, : and the Governor was authorised to set aside land to the value of £10,000, as an endowment. The land was: afterwards to be subject., to the provisions of,' the Land Act, 1877, ! but all rents andprofits: derived were to be paid.over to the.Auckland-, Institute. The council of tho Institute .took steps as soon as possible :..to, land: selected. Mr. Percy Smith acted on . behalf: of the Institute, and Mr. ,;,Tole, on-behalf of the Government, >- Thojland waa'selected in different parts of the land district; and wc understand ihat a fair; selection .was .{made;., offering a prospect that within'a few ears the Institute would , derive -a ~ handsome: revenue from its endowmentß.f?>'-Wlicn'-'Mr."-' Kolleston wa3 here .the .endowment's, were gone over, and it was found that two or three of them could not be obtained for tho:lnstil tute, and Mr.. and •were empowered'.. to ; . arrange; about substitutes. The next step ? is: the: gazetting,of these endowments, as until tliat is '■ done they are not in any,, way# --This ought to be seen i to' at':;. :: once; .The bequest left by Mr. ~Costley'has .of ■: course put the Institute Vin -a .:ivery.:.idifferent position from that which < it., hashitherto occupied. Sooner or slater additions will have to be to the building.... : Some apace will, however, be obtained , in the pre-, sent building by the removal oLthe pictures and the plaster casts when an art gallery is erected. A taxidermist -will have,to. bo cmployed to stuff a large quantity , of, skins, which the Curator of the>museum is.now m possession of. Merely to display, the objects at present packed away in. cellars ; would require cases which could not be put in position for less than £400. s.The Council ol.the Institute should at their next meeting take some steps to do something to show that the Institute is worthy of its recent good fortune.