The Scottish Naturalist. 13 



months. For on such occasions must be collected all the in- 

 formation necessary to the compilation of the lists already 

 alluded to, and the specimens which are to form the collection 

 of the society. I would suggest that each section should under- 

 take the self-imposed task of making a certain number of excur- 

 sions in the year, and that the presidents of each should give in 

 to the general secretary a report of every excursion so made, 

 and, if possible, a series of the specimens collected. 



Lastly, a few words on the subject of collections. On the 

 character of these will depend the positon which a society will 

 attain. There are very few museums indeed which entirely 

 answer the requirements they may be made capable of doing. 

 We seem not yet to have learnt that they might become an 

 educational power in the community, instead of a mere indis- 

 criminate show of curiosities, without connection or meaning. 



The museum of a local society should aim first at a complete 

 representation of the natural productions of its own district ; 

 and the energies of the members should be devoted most 

 ardently to this object. At the same time, it must be borne in 

 mind that the kingdom of nature is a grand unit j and if, as may 

 be submitted, the first function of a Natural History Museum is 

 to exhibit the relationship which exists among all forms of life, 

 a collection of the species peculiar to any one district alone 

 would fail to answer this most important requirement. While, 

 therefore, the local collection should have most attention paid to 

 it, no opportunity should be neglected of storing up specimens 

 from districts outside our own, or from foreign countries gene- 

 rally, and in process of time sufficient material will be accumu- 

 lated to form a typical general collection, in addition to the 

 more perfect local one. 



The work here sketched out for a local Natural History 

 Society, may at first appear a task too arduous for men whose 

 labour in scientific pursuits is but the occupation of their leisure 

 hours — for the majority of the members of a local society must 

 always consist of those who have only a small portion of their 

 time to devote to researches not immediately connected with 

 their every-day business life — but a careful consideration will 

 show, that such a plan of action as has been indicated (perhaps, 

 with slight modifications), must be pursued, if useful and worthy 

 results are to be obtained. 



