The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-11-04
Hawaiian Museum.
Communicated.

having recently drawn attention to the re-
quirements of the Museum for the future, and,
having suggested what steps it would be desir-
able to take for its moderation, we now pro-
pose to deal with its present condition and con-
tents.
On entering the small room in which the
specimens are displayed, one first sees a few
chronological specimens In a corner, consisting of
some spears and arrows from the South Sea Is
lands, and some drums used in peace and war.
One naturally concludes that this Is the whole
OF this branch of the collection, expecting to
find ali objects of one class arranged together as
in other institutions. But such IS not the case
here, for a further inspection reveals other eth
biological specimens in almost every case in the
room, a few being slowed nearly out of sight at
the bottom of a pyramidal stand. Among this
collection one of the most interesting objects Is
u ''Hohia or sled, used by the natives for slid
ing down hill. The sled which is fastened to
the feet, after the manner of the skates of more
modern and colder countries, would require
some considerable practise before proficiency IN
its use could be attained. There is a fair col
lection of stone implements, lent by Mr.. George
Dole, a heap of tortoise shell ornaments which
are so crowded together that it is almost impos-
sible to tell "t'other from which" Some pho
tographs of natives, idols, canoes and dwellings,
have no labels attached, so that one is left TO
guess TO what race they relate. a nice collection
of gourds, spoons, drinking cups, in a case with
some shells. are not improved by being polished
instead of left in their original rough state as
formerly used by the natives. An interesting
ScIAGoJ III e duOlucI CtSC. IL jill hIlft
cloth with the kappa heaters for marking the pat
terms on the cloth; then we see a large umbrella,
native dresses, armor from the Gilbert Islands,
a god, some domestic utensils for washing and
eating, a poi FOUNDER, and even a spittoon
which clearly shows that habits of civil izatiun
were being instilled into the sons of the soil. \
grotesque appearance is given to a large mask
of a face by placing on top of it a mask of hair
which certainly does not fit another mask is
surrounded by a hat. An interesting lamp,
some rnamenta teeth, mats and models Of
canoes and boats. which from their being so
crowded as to prevent inspection, complete this
collection, excepting a pair of lava shoes, so
named, which appear to be made of leather,
and are probably used to walk on lava, but are
certainly, not lava shoes" We had almost
forgotten a solitary model of a straw hut, and by
no means the least, though mentioned last a
magnificent helmet made of feathers. This, we
believe, is the only one in the Kingdom, a fact
tn be regretted the more because the birds from
which the feathers are obtained. Ionly two
feathers on each bird) axe almost extinct.
Neither the name of this bird nor any other par
Iiculars were ATTACKED to the helmet.
Among the other collections in the Museum is
n small 9RiuIomical series of portions of the hui
map body, a hair ball from the stomach of a
I bullock and n few other objects of minor i'm
portance. Crustacea are represented by n crab
and n half, surely many species OF crustacea are
obtainable on the islands. There is n fair col
lection of corals, but not so good ms might be
expected in this Kingdom, the largest and finest
specimen is not named, and has no ticket at
tached. The Hawaiian minerals, which are
separated from those of Europe, Japan and
Australia, and placed in one of the variety cases.
consist of representative specimens of ironstone,
scoria, sandstone, pumicestone, sulphur, etc.
The small japanese series of minerals is we'll
arranged and named. This is a very compact
little collection. The English and Australian
minerals are placed together, the former being
numbered for reference to a manuscript cata-
logue. Yet why could not the names from this
catalogue be copied on tickets and attached to
the specimens. The Australian minerals are
few in number and nameless. A fine fossil show
ing the impression of fern leaves on ironstone,
obtained from a coal mine at Vancouver Island,
is almost hidden at the back of a show case.
There are some very fine specimens of lava
scattered throughout the Museum, one series
only being located in a show case built after the
model of a pigeon house, and as if intended to
prevent n visitor from properly examining its
contents. This collection is from Kilauea crater.
There are some very curious specimens of lava
resembling a mass of small snakes twisted and
twined among each other in such IA manner as
to make ones flesh creep.
The only collection not yet mentioned is that
of conchology which is the best in the Museum,
though it might very easily be enlarged as well
as the other collections, by taking such steps as
We recently suggested. This COLLECTION Is BE
ING NAMED There is a good Genealogical H.
brary which enables Mrs. Beckley to do this. The
few species that have been determined might,
With advantage, have their names written at once
on labels instead of the small slips of paper al
present in use. There are many species in this
collection which would be envied by other
similar institutions, and good exchanges could
be obtained for duplicates.
We will now make a few remarks as to the
more immediate desiderata in the Museum, Will
a few hints as to its internal management which
we hope will be taken in good part. as they are
meant, by the authorities. The chief desiderat,
are n catalogue, descriptive labels, new air-tight
show cases, more scientific publications, 3
scientific gentleman in charge, collections Of
mammals, birds, reptiles, c-istacea, cchino-
derms, sponges, and entomology, and IA Larger
room or building in which to put the collection :
The present collection should be numbered
and catalogued without delay while it is yet
small, and every new specimen sh0nld be added
to the catalogue before it is exhibited. The
catalogue of the present specimens could al
once be published, and supplementary cata-
logueS be subsequently issued. Full descriptive
labels should be attached to each specimen, with
the locality in which the specimen was obtained
Show cases should be air-tight and made OF
plate glass on all sides, to allow plenty of light
to fall on the specimens. The neatest cases IL
appearance are of walnut wood, ebonized, with
spring catches. One looks in vaiL for any mann
mails, birds, reptiles, crustacea Except the one
and a half already mentioned) sponges, echinO-
derms or chronological specimens representa-.
fauna of any part of the world. We think it is
imperatively necessary that some steps should
be taken to secure such specimens, and pending
their arrival, arrangements could be made fol
securing a larger room for the Museum and
providing more snow cases ana some cabinets,
as every specimen should be kept under glass to
preserve it from destruction by dust or insects.
More scientific works on Natural History will
be required and these must be purchased, ex-
cept such scientific publications of kindred insti-
tutions as would be presented. This would in
Volve a heavy outlay of money, and could OF
course, only be gradually carried out. If the
Museum is to be of "A technical and industrial as
well as a scientific character, collections of all
the products of this Kingdom should be at once
secured (Suqar, rice, coffee, etc. IN all their
stages of growth and manufacture. Such spe-
cimens would, no doubt, be willingly supplied by
the planters in sufficient quantity to leave a good
series for exchanges.
To become what it should be as II National
Institution, the Museum wants II good head, II
gentleman trained to science, who loves and
takes an interest in his work, who is ever anxious
to make explorations and discoveries unknown
to his scientific brethren elsewhere, and "a man
with the bump of order and neatness fully de-
velOped, a rara aUis, seldom to be found among
naturalists, AS it will probably, from want of
means, be impossible to secure the services of
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