28 PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 



and insects, and curious shells, corals, sponges, etc. There are 

 also some minerals, fossils, two aquaria with living fishes, and a 

 number of bird pictures on the walls." Here, in the capital of 

 the great Republic, even young children are coaxed by pleasant 

 ways to become acquainted with the bypaths of Science. 



But the " Children's Room " is, after all, only a natural out- 

 come of advanced American ideas upon the subject of the evolution 

 of the purely educational side of Museums. In such institutions, 

 for example, as the United States National Museum at Washing- 

 ton, the Field Columbian Museum at Chicago, and the American 

 Museum at New York, while the other functions of a museum 

 are in no way neglected, special attention is paid to the subject 

 of directly interesting and instructing the general public. Among 

 the methods made use of in the attempt to achieve this object, 

 may be mentioned careful selection of the objects exhibited, 

 improved methods of mounting and displaying in an artistic and 

 realistic manner both individual specimens and groups of indi- 

 viduals, and also a more intelligent and intelligible mode of 

 labelling the specimens. Some of the ethnological grouped 

 exhibits in the U.S. National Museum are especially worthj^ of 

 notice. In these, the introduction of lay figures for the purpose 

 of illustrating the family life, the exercise of crafts, the ceremo- 

 nial or other aspects of the tribal life of the American Indians, 

 has been used with admirable results. A very good idea of the 

 success already attained in the directions indicated above may be 

 gained by referring to the illustrations in recent Annual Reports 

 of the three Institutions mentioned. Of the method of visual 

 instruction in connection with the American Museum of Natural 

 History in New York, I shall have occasion to speak elsewhere. 



Just one other phase of American museum development may 

 be noticed, namely, the zeal displayed in the acquisition of new 

 material, not merely in the ordinary way by purchase or by 

 exchange, but especially as the result of work done in the field 

 by individual collectors or of collecting expeditions, sent out for 

 the purpose. Such collectors or collecting expeditions not only 



