14 



is slowly being rearranged witE a view 

 to improve the Museum. Our botanical 

 department is not displayed at all peraia- 

 nently. During their season we display 

 the wild flowers, but each is short-lived. 

 Our permanent collection consists of 

 pressed specimens locked up in drawers 

 and cases, seen only when needed for 

 study. The collection is good as far as it 

 goes, but not complete. The gaps should 

 be filled, and those plants imperfectly, 

 should be perfectly illustrated. This de- 

 partment of life might be peiTnanently 

 shown by means of pressed specimens, con- 

 sisting of plants and their parts in va- 

 rious stages of growth, mounted behind 

 glass, and hung in order, where they 

 can be seen. A typical plant of each 

 family, at least, of the county, ought to 

 be thus shown, together with typical plants 

 showing the orders not found in this 

 county. 



We ought to show the simple forms of 

 life — animal and vegetable — by means of 

 pictures and models; and microscope 

 slides should be had to illustrate the same. 



A visitor to our Museum ought to be 

 able to start at the simplest forms of 

 life and follow up to man on the one hand 

 and the highest plants on the other, on the 

 plan suggested by Agassiz, namely, the 

 outside world represented by a type of 

 each important group or order and Wor- 

 cester County by every species. 



Our library is very small, and few of 

 its books are up to date; so we need 

 many books and should also be able to 

 subscribe for several of the periodicals 

 devoted to natural history. 



We need a lecture room. Repeatedly 

 during the past year the room so used 

 has been too small to hold all who came, 

 and our chairs were too few to seat all 

 who could get in. The chairs number 

 about 60; some of them broken. We sup- 

 plement them with about 20 camp stools, 

 which are not very stable. 



As much is being done with our pres- 

 ent income as can be done. Some of the 

 improvements suggested may be made by 

 a small addition to our yearly income; 

 but to do all this as we might, involves 

 considerable monev and a suitable build- 



ing in which to display our material. 

 Such a building would give oppor- 

 tunity to show well biological series from 

 lowest to the highest plant and from low- 

 est animal to man, ananged so as to have 

 educational and utilitarian value. It 

 would also show the minerals and rocks 

 of the county and the important ones of 

 the outside world; the geologic systems 

 of the countiy, state and world; struct- 

 ural and phenomenal geology, economic ge- 

 ology; palaeontology in connection with 

 biology and geology. It would have min- 

 eral, chemical and biological laboratories, 

 lecture rooms, and a suitable libraiy. The 

 material in such a building could be so 

 aiTanged as to make it as good a place 

 of recreation even as an art museum. 



What an immense influence for good 

 such an institution might have in this 

 city! 



We are doing good work as it is. Our 

 building is out of the way in location, 

 off a street car line, and on the top of 

 a somewhat forbidding hill — especially in 

 the heat of summer, and with the ice of 

 winter — notwithstanding we are visited by 

 6,000 people yearly. Many, old and 

 young, come to see our exhibits, perma- 

 nent and transient; many to attend the 

 lectures and classes — and thus through 

 those who are teachers, indirectly hun- 

 dreds of children of the schools are 

 reached. Many teachers bring their classes 

 here for study; many come for specimens 

 to study both here and at home, and 

 teachers for material with which to illus- 

 trate lessons at school (as your custo- 

 dian's report shows) ; many children come 

 to attend the bird, botany and other 

 classes; many people come for the pur- 

 pose of identifying and having identified 

 birds, insects, minerals, rocks; some to 

 learn the best way to combat harmful an- 

 imals and plants. 



All this is unmatched in the wide 

 world, and as free as the air we breathe. 

 ]t seems to me that the people of Worces- 

 ter should be proud of such work and 

 enthusiastic in its support. 



HERBERT D. BRA:MAX, 



Superintendent, 



