NATURAL SCIENCE: 



A Monthly Review of Scientific Progress. 



No. 17. Vol III. JULY, 1893. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



The Museums Association. 



THE season for annual congresses has arrived, and in Britain 

 the Museums Association meets first among scientific bodies. 

 This year, as we have already announced, the meeting is to be held in 

 London, under the presidency of Sir William Flower, K.C.B., who 

 delivers the opening address on July 3. The Association has already 

 done much towards discussing the methods of Museum arrangement, 

 and agreeing upon concerted action in various matters ; but a meeting 

 in the metropolis, where Museums, backed by the resources of the 

 Government, have attained their greatest development, ought to 

 lead to particularly important results. 



Truly enough, there is much to be done in reforming many of the 

 provincial Museums, if their efficiency is to be maintained and ex- 

 tended in accordance with modern ideas. Last year we had occasion 

 to remark upon the peculiarities of some of the older foundations ; ' 

 and, notwithstanding all the efforts of the Museums Association, 

 we fear it will be long ere the collections " illustrating the travels of 

 the local gentry " give place to the adequate representation of the 

 Natural History of the neighbourhood in which each Museum is situated. 

 Even newly-founded institutions, such as that at the Brassey Institute, 

 Hastings, which begin well and with good intentions, soon find the 

 difficulty of refusing to accept "curios" from local travellers; and 

 until the governing bodies of the Museums are composed exclusively 

 of scientific men who understand such matters, it is hopeless to 

 expect any noteworthy reform. 



We cannot help thinking, however, that the greatest difficulty 

 in attempting reform results from the ignorance of most of the 

 governing bodies of the Museums as to what constitute the qualifica- 



1 Natural Science, vol. i., p. 321. 



