SKETCH OF PROFESSOR ALPHEUS HYATT. 267 



follows : " It is quite possible to so arrange aud subsequently conduct 

 a museum that it will be as much more effectual in this way (educa- 

 tional) than any art-gallery or library, as Nature herself is greater and 

 more instructive than any imperfect imitations of her ever set in frames 

 or between the covers of books." In his report for 1882 he says that 

 there have been many requests for reference series for consultation, 

 and he suggests that money be raised for the purpose of placing series 

 of specimens illustrating different natural groups so that they may be 

 handled by those having sufficient intei*est in the subject. This is an 

 important suggestion, and, if it can be carried out, will greatly raise 

 the educational standard of the Natural History Museum. He also 

 suggests that descriptive catalogues of the museum be issued and dis- 

 tributed at frequent intervals. 



In order to render the museum a true guide to the study of natural 

 history, to make it, in fact, a natural system in itself, and to illustrate 

 all the forms in a definite and natural manner, Professor Hyatt has 

 adopted a superior plan of arrangement. Let us take, for example, 

 the mineral and geological collection, which is now nearly completely 

 arranged. First of all, the elements are shown, then the elements 

 which enter into rock formations in an elementary form. Then there 

 is a series of what might be called rock-elements — that is, rocks which 

 are composed of one mineral, such as mica or limestone. We are then 

 prepared for the final stage of rock-mixtures — such as conglomerates, 

 granites, etc. Next are taken up the rocks as they are formed, either 

 sedimentary or igneous, and so on through the whole rock-world, go- 

 ing step by step in a most natural way from the simplest to the most 

 complex, from the elements to their compounds. This is the natural 

 system, and is being adopted in other departments of the museum. 



Such is Professor Hyatt's work. He is a scientist in every sense 

 of the word, and holds a high rank among naturalists. Still, he is able 

 to find time to render science popular — a great work, which scientists 

 are not apt to appreciate and which few try to do. It is an important 

 work, and the only way firmly to establish science upon the world ; 

 and that small body of men who are so unselfishly devoting their time 

 to this grand work are deserving of far more credit than those who 

 selfishly shut themselves from the rest of the world, and laboriously 

 work away at abstruse problems, which, after they are discovered, are 

 put in such terms as to be unintelligible to the average person. TVe 

 repeat it, that those who are doing their best to render science popular 

 are doing far more for true science than those who purposely shun 

 such work, and confine themselves to uninteresting and often unim- 

 portant problems. 



