1897. RUGBY SCHOOL MUSEUM. 317 



model of the neighbourhood of Rugby extending four miles in all 

 directions, on a horizontal scale of 4 inches to the mile and a vertical 

 scale of I in. to 120 ft. This was originally projected by Mr. Wilson 

 with a view to exhibiting some of the geological features of the 

 district. The ground was surveyed by him and some of his pupils, 

 and a plaster cast made, which for several years remained in the 

 school-room occupied by him. When the natural history collections 

 were removed to the Arnold Library space was found for the model, 

 which, by the help of Mr. G. M. Seabroke (himself an old pupil of 

 Mr. Wilson) and others, was worked over inch by inch and compared 

 with the ordnance survey maps by means of proportional compasses, 

 until it is now believed to represent with fair accuracy all the surface 

 features of the district it embraces. It has also been painted, roads, 

 streams, railways, canals being marked upon it and the sites of the 

 villages shown. 



Among various portraits on the walls is one of the late 

 M. H. Bloxam, F.S.A., himself an old Rugbeian and all his life 

 a devoted friend of the Rugby School Natural History Society. 

 During his lifetime he presented to the school many treasures from 

 his own valuable collection of books, pictures, and antiquities, 

 bequeathing by his will many more. Although they find a more 

 fitting home in the Art Museum, any notice of the Natural History 

 Museum without mention of his name seems sadly incomplete to one 

 who has watched the growth of the Society during the last twenty 

 years. 



Such are the chief features of the collections exhibited in the new 

 Museum. Of course much remains to be done, but those who knew 

 the collections as they were planted down in this Museum less than 

 30 months ago will admit that excellent progress has been made, and 

 all who are interested in the development of a taste for natural 

 history will join the present writer in the earnest hope that the 

 succeeding generations of Rugby boys will not fall behind their 

 predecessors in devoting part of their spare time to improving the 

 various collections in this or that direction. 



The president of the Rugby School Natural History Society, 

 the Rev. R. Waterfield, has kindly permitted the use of the blocks for 

 the two illustrations, which appeared originally in the Society's 

 report for 1895. The writer is indebted also to Archdeacon Wilson 

 for supplying him with information concerning the early history of the 

 collections. 



L. Gumming. 



