Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 29-30/2. (2010)
Zoology
Zoltán SZOMBATH In 1967,1 was offered a job as a laborer at the museum, and I unconditionally accepted it, leaving the furniture factory, where I was working as a category V upholsterer. By 1989 I have took all the specialization courses offered by the Center of Training Working Personnel from the Minister of Culture, on all the domains of preparation: taxidermy, restoration, conservation, obtaining all the necessary diplomas. Since the Department of Ethnography and the ones of modern and contemporary history have moved in a different building, and the Archeology department as well as the history department had the same perspectives, we saw a possibility of creating a showroom for the Natural Sciences Museum. That would have implied getting new specimens and preserving them as naturalizations. The process of collecting ornithological materials is not possible without corresponding fire arms. The department director was a member of the Regional Association of sports Hunting and Fishing (AJVPS Mure§). He never participating in sport hunting and only used the fire arm for collecting specimens that would become part of the museum collection. In time individual hunting was restricted, therefore impeding the collecting process. The small caliber fire arm was restricted by law, as well as purchasing ammunition. Mr. Kónya had to hand over his gun to the police station and he withdrew from the association. After 1986 (his retirement year), the Department director was taken over by Sárkány Kiss Andrei, museologist-biologist. He decided to become a hunter in order to be able to continue preparing material for exhibits. He had to do that on individual resources. (I was never able to contribute personally to the enrichment of the collection, since my request to become a member of AJVPS was dismissed twice). Another method for procuring materials proved itself to be high efficient. With the help of my brothers (Aladár and §tefan) whom were hunters, I got in contact with many other hunters. I managed to convince some of them to donate interesting specimens without any remuneration. I believe it is my moral obligation to acknowledge this in writing, aside my thanks, the only late recognition I am able to show for the contribution they brought to our collection. In 1989 the principal departmental exhibit was opened, in which we presented among other things 114 naturalized birds. (By 2010 we used over 200 naturalized specimens in temporary collections presented by the department or in other museums.) After 1990 no other specimen was collected by museum staff (since there was nobody on staff with a hunting permit). We have only received donations of hunted specimens or accident specimens (cars, electricity, windows impact, tall buildings) found dead. In this manner we managed to increase the collection to 667 specimens, from which 338 naturalized, and 329 prepared as skins. Specimens origin: donations 300 acquisitions 95 (-45) collecting 264 (+45) unclear 8- (the 45 specimens were collected by museum staff, yet the preparation was made by an external preparatory for remuneration, since the institution has not had a specialist at the time) Those specimens were prepared by: AGVPS Bucure§ti 11 Kónya István 7 Filep Iuliu 85 Kónya István jr. 8 Kákonyi 1 X Y 20 Kohl §t. - Kónya I 2 Szombath Zoltán 517 Kohl §tefan 16 118
