University Improvements

Strolling into the campus ono day tliis week we weie surprised at the sigua of activity everywhere displayed. YVorkmen and teams were Imsy in tearing down and building up. Rubbish was being carted oft aod fresh material brought to take its place. Especially our readers out of town on vacation will be glad to hear of these improvements and we presume many In the city have not as yet had time to inspect thcm. Por thelr benefit we will briefly describe some of the changes. TnE OLD MUSEUM. This ancient building is now undergoing the second change slnce it was built. At first it was a dormitory but it became too lively for the autnomie au n.,:,, v,, it up, sent the boys adrift to shift for themselves and made it over into a museum. Since then it has been devoted to frogs, pollywogs, snakes and stones, but now that we have the ftew museum prepared for the reception of these, theold partitions ure being taken out and new ones placed in. ltooins will be made for recitations and lectures la the southern part of the building, and theotherend will be left for some things which will not be transferred to the new museum. THE MAIN HALL. For some time owing to the cracking of the walls and sagging of the timbera many rumora have been afloat concerning the unsafeness of the building and for Uut reuson some have absented theinselvcs froto it in times of large gatherings therc. The contractor wno is repairiug it now says that wheu at flrst working upon it he feit afraid that something miglit drop. Stnce these things are so it sccms as though the architect's name shonld no longerdisgrai ¦ the corner stone of that structurc, but sliould be strickeu off. Every one nmy now attend all exercises there without anxiety, as the old coat of piaster has been removed, strong girders havo been put in and the walls strengthcned. A lighter coat of piaster is being substituted for the former onc which was very thick and heavy. THE NEW MUSEIM. Curiositics aiul objects of natural history ;ire riadnal]y Onding their places In the new building and it is now looking quite like a museum. Ou the lower tloor are niinerals and fossils. As we asceud to the Hoor we flnd a largo glass case lilled with animáis and birds of North America. In the otber rooms are mounted In excellent shape the beautiful and rare birds of the Beal-Steere collection. ïhey are placed on light wire perches, the invention of Mr. Hobson, the taxiderinist, and beneath are places for labels. Families are grouped together and large cards are put above the glass cases giving the family and genene names with the colors and cliief characteristics. This way of marking was adopted Vf tl. o oidor A-gooalr l„t t ),as luun Utolr changed at Harvard for a plan of paintiiig simply the family names upou the glassThe plan adopted here seems a preferable one. After a visit to the museum at Harvard as well as to La val university, the great institution at Quebec, we can say that for variety of species, excellence and naturalness in mounting, the collection of birds in our university does not rank below them. The rooms on the floor above are used as class rooms. THE NEW LIBIIARY. Midway between the main hall and the laboratory building has beeu fixed upon as the site for the new library. This will place it in the iniddlc of the campus, a very deslrable location as it will then be easy of access to all the departments. The plans have not as yet been fully decided upon but must be about ready to be presented to the regents who will take action upon the matter at their next meeting. Our readers will remember that the appropriation for it is $100,000. TUK EYE AND EAU WAKD. This is being erected as M additkm to the hospital und la connccted with it by a covered passage way. The structure is a one story onc, as are the hospital and lias largo rooms for operatious and smaller ones for the patients. It will prove a valucble addition to the hospital. For it $3,500 was appropriated. THE SEWER. This lmge ditch is being rapidly pushed through and will extend from near Uit: center of the campus to the river. The largo tiles are being laid ten or twelye feet below the surfnce and already extend dowh the street towards the cat hole to a point about opposite the old cemetery. I ii the campus it runs diagonally across the north-west corner of the ball ground from the south-eastern corner of the hospital building. The estimated expense of this was $7,500. Thus in all parts of the campus is actlvity and improvement. By the aid of the last Leglslature's generous approprintlona the university promises to enter upou a greatly enlarged Held of usefulness.