350 The Scottish Naturalist. 



to beginners, who, with a little encouragement and aid over their 

 earlier difficulties, would do good work in their turn. To one 

 who is not already a specialist a list of names conveys little infor- 

 mation, and gives little help ; but the study of a carefully-selected 

 and well-arranged museum gives both assistance and pleasure to 

 even the tyro who has the desire to learn from it ; while even the 

 adept finds a visit to such a museum profitable. 



The value of museums as auxiliaries in public education has 

 been appreciated far more fully in England than in Scotland ; and 

 there are few English towns, even of small size, where there is 

 not one. In a good many towns they are supported by a rate in 

 connection with the free libraries, while in others they depend on 

 voluntary contributions. In the East of Scotland we are not 

 largely provided with museums, and such as exist find it difficult 

 to make headway. Want of appreciation of their value, and want 

 of interest in their welfare among the general public, and conse- 

 quent absence of the support that they require, is the common 

 experience of all who endeavour to promote them. 



There is a museum in our district which affords an example of 

 what may be done in a few years by energetic and judicious 

 efforts, directed to the attainment of success on a plan not too 

 ambitious to permit of being achieved. That museum is the ex- 

 cellent one formed by the Perthshire Society of Natural Science. 

 It approaches very near the ideal of what a provincial museum 

 should be ; chiefly, because it was begun on a definite plan, and 

 was carried on strictly upon that plan, so that in it everything has 

 its proper place. It is thus free from the heterogenous assemblage 

 of objects so apt to form the contents of museums that grow up 

 by the mere aggregation of the miscellaneous gifts of years 

 — gifts, the motive of which too often seems to be merely to 

 clear houses of accumulations brought together by former 

 generations, but that are felt by their latter possessors to be en- 

 cumbrances. 



A really valuable gift is made when some person ascertains 

 what is required for the completion of the collections, and then 

 proceeds to fill the blank. Much may be done in this way by any 

 one who selects some group {e.g., grasses, ferns, butterflies and 

 moths, or shells), and endeavours to prepare for the museum a 

 complete collection of that group from his own neighbourhood. 

 Such a method of giving assistance costs the donor little ; whilst 



