ON NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS. 31 



arrangement." At the same time the collections included 

 specimens from widely distant parts of the world, and these 

 of such exceptional interest in certain cases that the museum 

 positively surpassed at that time the British Museum. The 

 skeletons and skins of the African elephant and the two-horned 

 rhinoceros were said to be the earliest ever known in this 

 country ; indeed, the specimen of the African elephant, stuffed 

 by Mr. Joseph Clarke, was considered to be of such interest that 

 it was sent to the Great Exhibition of 1851. Many of the larger 

 mammals were due to the generosity of Mr. George Wombwell, 

 the proprietor of the menagerie, who took, from his local 

 association, great interest in the museum. 



It is a notable proof of the intelligence and enterprise of the 

 organisers of this museum that within ten years of its foundation 

 they published an admirable catalogue. 39 Sixty years have 

 slipped by since that work was issued, and during this time 

 science has indeed made startling progress, yet it may be fairly 

 said that the production of such a catalogue — so carefully 

 compiled, admirably printed, and delicately illustrated— would be 

 creditable to any provincial museum even at the present day. 

 From the frontispiece we get an insight into an Essex Museum 

 sixty years ago, and the view is one in which an Essex man may 

 justly feel pride ! We are not surprised that, according to 

 Mr. Miller Christy, the catalogue " is said to have been the 

 best of its kind in existence at that day." 40 



Since the Saffron Walden Museum was founded, now seventy 

 years ago, the museum movement, at that time scarcely 

 recognised, has made marvellously rapid progress. In 1845, the 

 year in which the SaffronWalden catalogue was published, an Act 

 was passed by the Legislature, enabling certain municipal 

 bodies to levy a rate for the establishment of museums of science 

 and art. From this small beginning we have advanced, until at 

 the present day most of our museums are under municipal 

 authority, so that, unlike museums belonging to local societies 

 they enjoy an income which though it may be small is yet 

 officially assured. Without such support by the West Ham 

 Corporation, where would be our Essex museum ! 



When we remember the difficulty of formerly obtaining 

 access to the British Museum, when we remember too that to see 



39 An Abridged Catalogue of the Saffron Walden Mum urn. 1854. 



40 The Birds of Essex. Essex Field Club Special Memoirs, vol.ii., 1890. 



