de, which fit into grooves cut in the
carcase of the cabinet, and so arranged by a little calculation that a
shallow drawer can immediately be inserted in the place previously
occupied by a deep one, or vice versa--i.e, a deep 6 in. drawer, which
may be No. 30, at the bottom, can be pushed upwards at any
intermediate point between that and No. 1.

The modus operandi is as follows: Whatever the depth decided on of the
drawers, the carcase is grooved all the way down to half the depth of
the shallowest drawer, if in even inches, or to a multiple of each
drawer if otherwise. Example: Take a foot rule and mark off 10 in on a
piece of paper, dividing it into alternate half inches making, of
course, twenty half inches; this represents the carcase. Then take
some strips of paper or cardboard, which cut to 1 in, 1.5 in, 2 in.
2.5 in. and 3 in. respectively, total 10 in. These represent the
drawers; putting them in their order, they will, of course, fit in the
10 in. Now change them about, top to bottom, or bottom in the middle,
or in any way that you like, and you will find that they will always
fall in a groove, leaving room for the others, when pushed down,
without any open space between.

The same method is adopted in the cabinets under the invertebrate show
cases in the Liverpool Museum, which I recently visited under the able
guidance of the clever and genial curator, Mr. Moore, so well known,
together with his family, in connection with many unique and beautiful
osteological preparations.

CASING UP WITH ROCKWORK, ETC.--Brown paper was formerly the piece de
resistance of those who aspired to imitate rocks on which to place or
to surround their animals. It was used by being first soaked in water
and drawn over pieces of wood, boxes, or large cinders even, to give
shape. It was then glued, and small stones and sand thrown on. Usually
uncoloured, it revealed itself in its naked ugliness, and looked what
it was--paper. Later, it was more artistically arranged, and when
divested of folds by the application of more paper, plenty of glue,
and well coloured, it certainly looked decent. Then came peat, a
glorious innovation for quick, if not artistic, work. This dried
earth, dug from bogs, admits of being carved and shaped to almost any
form. Sandstone and some other rocks may be represented by it, as also
trunks of trees. Well glued and sanded, it takes colour readily, or it
may be gone over with a mixture of whiting and plast