274 Dover Museum. 



natural history, according to the plan of Dr. Paley's Natural Theology, 

 has given an exalted interest to the collection, such as no exhibition of 

 the kind has hitherto displayed. 



" He thus very clearly explains the plan of his arrangement of the con- 

 tents of the Museum : — 



" ' The first division proposes to familiarise the eye to those relations 

 of all natural objects which form the basis of argument in Dr. Paley's 

 Natural Theology ; to induce a mental habit of associating the view of 

 natural phenomena with the conviction that they are the media of Divine 

 manifestation ; and, by such association, to give proper dignity to every 

 branch of natural science. 



" ' The second division exhibits relics of antiquity, arranged according 

 to the order of time, with some specimens of curious art of uncivilised, as 

 well as of refined, nations. 



" * In the exhibition of animals the order of Cuvier has been generally 

 adopted. The name of every specimen is conspicuously affixed; and 

 hand-catalogues explain the general principle of the arrangement, and the 

 contents of each cabinet to which they refer.' " 



Dover Museum. — This Institution owes its origin to Mr. 

 Thompson, an inhabitant of this town; who, in March, 1836,* 

 called a public meeting of his fellow townsmen, offering them 

 the whole of his valuable collection as a nucleus, provided 

 they would establish a museum in the town. The offer was 

 accepted; officers were appointed, and books opened for 

 donations and subscriptions ; the former being for the pur- 

 pose of fitting up a large and appropriate room (late the 

 town hall) ; the latter, to meet the current expenses of the 

 establishment. The appeal was successful, and 120 members 

 immediately enrolled their names ; and, on Aug. 29. the rooms 

 were thrown open to the public. Mr. Thompson had been 

 working silently and perseveringly, for the last seven years, 

 in collecting and preparing his specimens, consisting of nearly 

 400 stuffed birds, in the greatest perfection, and several hun- 

 dred British coleopterous and lepidopterous insects. The 

 birds consisted of many foreign specimens, and of nearly a 

 perfect collection of British ones ; and among them most of 

 the rarest species ; viz. : — Faico ossifragus (shot at Canter- 

 bury), Lagdpus, apivorus, palumbarius, cyaneus, Pygargus, 

 Subbuteo, Lithofalco ; Strix Bubo, passerina, Scops ; Lanius 

 excubitor, rufus; Corvus Graculus, caryocatactes ; A'mpelis 

 Garrulus; Coraciasgarrula; Oriolus Galbula; Merops Apias- 

 ter ; A'rdea Grus, Nycticorax caspica, minvita ; Scolopax 

 major; Tringaislandica; Phalaropus lobatus; Colymbus glaci- 

 alis, arcticus; Procellaria pelagica; Mergus serrator, albeilus; 

 A'nas mollissima, fusca, nigra, clypeata, acuta, glacial is, Clan- 

 gula ; A'lca A'lle. The following have been added since : — 

 Faico Haliae v tus, Picus martius, Hirundo pratincola, Tetrao 

 Urogallus ; CTtis tarda, Tetrax ; Charadrius Himantopus, 

 A'rdea Ciconia, Platalea leucorodia, Tantalus igneus. The 

 Dover Museum thus presents, in this department, a collection 



