274 REMARKS ON MUSEUMS OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



of the public to the museum. The collection of the Antiquarian Soci- 

 ety, (which contain many very interesting specimens of art, deposited 

 in another part of the building), is, also, in a like manner, open gratu- 

 itously to the inspection of the public ; and I sincerely wish this 

 liberality was more generally displayed in similar societies, as I 

 firmly believe that, if such a plan were adopted, it would have the 

 effect of increasing the funds of the institution, from the number of 

 persons who would take an interest in its prosperity ; and the sub- 

 scribers would have the gratification of knowing they were promoting 

 the spread of knowledge, good taste, and feeling, among their fellow 

 townspeople. This Society , besides setting so good an example to other 

 institutions, has distinguished itself by the energy and scientific 

 knowledge of many of its members, who have published papers in 

 their Transactions which may rank with productions on similar sub- 

 jects in the Transactions of our metropolitan societies. 



Many institutions are open by an order from, or an introduction 

 by, a subscriber ; but in most of these I have observed that admis- 

 sion is granted on application to the Curator of the institution. At 

 Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Worcester, the museums are 

 open to any visitor on the payment of one shilling, as in some of the 

 proprietary museums which were formerly exhibited in the metropo- 

 lis. But the Natural History Society of Manchester, as far as I am 

 aware, stands alone for the exclusive conduct of its supporters. In 

 my situation in the British Museum, I have had several requests 

 made to me from residents in Manchester, to compare specimens of 

 British birds, or other objects of the kind, with similar specimens in 

 the collection under my care ; for the artizans of Manchester, like 

 the weavers of Spitalfields, appear to be very fond of the various 

 branches of Natural History, British Ornithology, and Entomology 

 in particular. Some of these persons, who generally appeared to be 

 workmen, stated, as an excuse for what they considered an intrusion 

 on my time, that they, or their friends, could not make the compa- 

 risons in their own town, though its museum contained a good col- 

 lection of British birds, &c., as no resident was allowed to visit the 

 Museum but members of the society, and that the members were 

 elected by ballot, so that there was no hopes of their being admitted, 

 even if they could afford to pay the subscription. I did not pay 

 much attention to their complaints, and they entirely escaped my 

 recollection. Being near Manchester last year, I passed through the 

 town, on my road to London, for the purpose of examining the mu- 

 seum. On asking my way to it of a gentleman whom I happened 

 to meet in the street, he inquired if I had an order, as I could not 



