The Scottish Naturalist 353 



with success, or to render available for study the vast materials 

 that the world supplies. 



No town can, from its own resources, afford to support such ex- 

 tensive collections, nor is it desirable that the attempt should be 

 made. It is well that there should be materials of the most com- 

 plete kind within reach of specialists. But in the interest of the 

 -specialists themselves it is not desirable that more than one or 

 two museums aiming at completeness should exist in a country ; 

 for then they lose their national character ; and type collections, 

 which tend to become absorbed in the national museums on the 

 death of the specialists who formed them, would be apt to be dis- 

 persed, instead of flowing into a readily accessible centre. 



In this Union we must set aside the thought of large and world- 

 wide collections ; and must recognize that ours must be provincial 

 museums. 



The unanimous advice of those skilled in the management of 

 public museums is that, in provincial museums, there should be 

 two aims kept always in view. These are, first, the formation, for 

 educational purposes, of a collection confined to certain carefully 

 selected types, illustrated in the fullest detail with preparations to 

 exhibit structure, life history, and every feature that can aid the 

 visitors to the museum in gaining a clear conception of the facts 

 and data of natural science ; and, second, the preparation of purely 

 local series, designed ultimately to be as complete as it is possible 

 to make them. 



From the latter collections a scientific stranger visiting a district 

 could gain as good or even better knowledge of its products in an 

 hour or two in the museum as could be done from a residence of 

 months without this aid. But a still greater advantage follows the 

 preparation of complete local collections, in that access to them 

 encourages beginners ; who find themselves able to identify in the 

 museum the specimens that they have themselves found ; and the 

 earlier and more arduous portions of the ascent to knowledge are 

 thus smoothed away for them. It is no slight gain to assist in any 

 degree the early efforts of those who may by their labours after, 

 wards materially advance the progress of science. 



The relations between natural history societies and provincial 

 museums ought to be close and intimate ; and, if they are so, the 

 effects on societies and museums alike will be very beneficial. 

 The museums, being for the benefit of the public, deserve and 



