10 ON NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS. 



A part only of the Gallery of the museum is at present given 

 up to the natural history collections, but as these are rapidly 

 increasing it is hoped that additional space may be secured in 

 this section of the building, where the illumination by means of a 

 direct top-light is well adapted for the display of objects requiring 

 close inspection. The Botanical collection is located in the gallery. 

 During the season fresh cut flowers are here exhibited week by 

 week, as at the Forest Museum ; and the visitor is introduced to 

 them by means of tablets adorned with charming little coloured 

 sketches by Mr. Henry Cole. Here, too, are the Minevalogical 

 and Petvological collections in course of arrangement by the skilful 

 hands of Mr. Thomas W. Reader ; and here, likewise, is the 

 collection of Fossils — a collection containing many choice speci- 

 mens, due chiefly to the generosity of Dr. Horace T. Brown, 

 Mr. W. H. Dalton, and Mr. Carvalho. As an introduction to 

 this section of the museum there is a most instructive series of 

 specimens illustrating the phenomena of fossilization, and intended 

 to answer the question which is asked by a bold tablet at the 

 head of the case : " What is a fossil ?" 



In dealing with fossils a Curator is at once faced with the 

 vexed question whether they should be arranged independently 

 as a palseontological collection, or be associated with the zoo- 

 logical and botanical specimens as one series — the extinct and 

 the extant forms taking their place in juxtaposition. A fossil 

 may in fact be viewed in two aspects: as a " medal of creation " 

 it has an obverse and a reverse. The biologist looks at one side, 

 the geologist at the other. To the biologist the fossil is a link 

 in the chain of life, connected with other links on its two sides — 

 a unit in a long organic concatenation related to certain 

 antecedents and to certain successors. But the geologist, whilst 

 fully appreciating this philosophical aspect, views the fossil as 

 an index to a certain set of strata, as a representative of life at a 

 particular period of the earth's history. 



After all, this question, whether a Curator should arrange his 

 fossils on the biological or on the geological system, seems rather 

 like the old question, " Whether the tailor should make coats or 

 trousers." To which the very obvious retort was, " Why not 

 make both ?" If the museum is extensive enough, there can 

 surely be no valid reason why the two systems should not be 

 followed. The Curator, realizing this, will do his best to satisfy 

 at once the student of Life and the student of Time. 



