V. 



The Museums of Public Schools/ 



II. — ETON COLLEGE. 



THE present Eton College Museum, which forms part of the block 

 of buildings known as the Queen's Schools, was completed only 

 a few years ago. Before that day there existed, on the present site 

 of the Queen's Schools, a large round building (the Rotunda) and a 

 number of small class-rooms known as the Old Mathematical Schools. 

 After the completion of additional class-rooms for the mathematical 

 work of the school, the Rotunda was used for various purposes until 

 the year 1875, when it was, at the expense of several of the Science 

 Masters, fitted up as a Museum. 



At this period a set of British birds, stuffed in separate cases, 

 together with a series of British butterflies, formed the nucleus of 

 the zoological collection, while a large number of mineral specimens 

 and fossils, got together by gift and purchase, formed the nucleus of 

 the geological collection. 



About the year 1888 the Rotunda and the Old Mathematical 

 Schools were pulled down, and the present Queen's Schools were 

 erected on the site. The Queen's Schools consist of a block of 

 buildings on three sides of a quadrangle, the centre of which is 

 occupied by a grass plot. The whole of the northern side is occupied 

 by the new Lower Chapel, built by the subscriptions of old Etonians. 

 On the south side is a large lecture-room and a physical laboratory, 

 a large drawing-school, and several class-rooms. The western side 

 of the block is not built upon, and the eastern is almost entirely 

 occupied by the Museum, with a line of class-rooms on the ground 

 floor beneath. 



The eastern and southern sides of the quadrangle, with the 

 exception of the Physical Laboratory and Lecture Room, the funds 

 for which were provided by the Head Master, Dr. Edmund Warre, 

 were built by the College out of their endowment. 



The architect of the whole block of buildings was Sir Arthur 

 Blomfield, 



The Museum consists of a large room (87 ft. by 30 ft.) and a small 



1 The first of tliis series, on Ctiarterhouse, appeared in this Journal for July, 1893. 



