BRITISH MUSEUM. 219 



remuneration from other sources ; and that" when such scale of salary shall 

 have been fixed it shall not be competent to any officer of the Museum paid 

 thereunder to hold any other situation conferring emolument or entailing 

 duties." 



The sum voted to the Museum last year was 1 1,000/., quite suffi- 

 cient for every purpose if due regard be paid to economy. With 

 respect to ability, there is much room for improvement, though we 

 fully admit the high talents of many as men of letters. Fitness for 

 the particular duties of each office should be always regarded in 

 making the appointments. 



"12. Resolved that it is desirable that the Heads of Departments do con- 

 sult together as to the best method of preparing, on a combined system, an im- 

 proved edition of the Synopsis of the museum, that each officer be responsi- 

 ble for that part which is under his immediate control, and attach his signa- 

 ture to such part, and that the work be prepared in such a manner as to en- 

 able each part to be sold separately, which should be done at the lowest price 

 which will cover the expenses of the publication." 



In no matter connected with the Museum is there greater need of 

 improvement. The present Synopsis, which is sold for two shillings, 

 answers the purpose of no parties, neither the scientific nor the un- 

 learned; and its many absurdities and inconsistencies have called 

 down the ridicule of intelligent men. There should be two kinds of 

 Synopsis : one a mere guide book, of a nature to satisfy the necessary 

 enquiries of casual visitors; and another, of an exclusively scientific 

 nature for students, persons who would make the collections avail- 

 able for scientific education. The latter might be sold in parts. 



" 13. Resolved that it is expedient that every exertion should be made to 

 complete, within the shortest time consistent with the due execution of the 

 work, full and accurate Catalogues of all the Collections in the Museum, with 

 a view to print and publish such portions of them as would hold out expecta- 

 tions of even a partial sale." 



Full and accurate catalogues are certainly desirable, but we for 

 our part should have wished the words systematically arranged, to 

 have preceded catalogues. The necessity of classed catalogues both 

 in the library and in the scientific departments, is so severely felt by 

 every person who resorts to the Museum for purposes of study and 

 research that we are sure that parliament could not confer a greater 

 benefit on the literary public than by making it compulsory, when 

 making the next year's grant, that classed catalogues should be 

 forthwith begun and completed within a stipulated time. There is, 

 so far as we know from enquiry, no properly classed catalogue 

 of the collections. With respect to the manuscripts, each collection; 

 has its own catalogue without classification (unless we except the im- 



