STUDIES ON MUSEUMS AND KINDRED INSTITUTIONS. 521 



recently deferred, erection of a new museum building in Dresden, and 

 I now report on the result of my observations. 



I could not, in the case of cities like London and Paris, undertake 

 to make as detailed a report as I attempted for New York and Chicago, 

 and as I hope to do for Washington, Philadelphia, and Boston (includ- 

 ing Cambridge), for that would require nuich more time than I had at 

 my disposal. There is, indeed, no necessity for this, for the museums 

 and allied institutions of London and Paris are known to every one 

 who has to do with museum administration. I could only endeavor 

 to discuss what is new and worthy of imitation there, and what would 

 be valuable for solving our problem in Dresden. 



Although probably no one will take exceptions to my noting the good 

 features that I Hnd, yet in case of blame some one is certain to sa}^ that 

 '' those who live in glass houses should not throw stones." Of course 

 I am aware of the inadequacy of my own efforts, and I know that in 

 many instances the deficiencies are to a greater extent the fault of the 

 circumstances than of the persons, for one individual has little con- 

 trol of the man}^ combinations on which the historical development of 

 museums and similar institutions depend. It is rare, at least in 

 Europe, though possible in America, that anyone has an opportunity 

 to commence at the beginning and build up an establishment from the 

 foundation. My censure, therefore, can not and will not be personal, 

 })ut will deal rather with the conditions that are beyond the control of 

 the individual. If I am blamed for recounting my experiences princi- 

 pally in the form of personal impressions, the reader may be assured 

 that I do so only for the purpose of allowing others to share them, for 

 which purpose I can not avoid the subjective method of statement. 



The arrangement indicates the course of my travels during Septem- 

 ber and October, 1901. 



Photographs were in most cases difficult to obtain, and my illus- 

 trations are consequently not uniformly distributed, and in some cases 

 unsatisfactory. To the gentlemen who were so good as to place orig- 

 inals at my disposal, and who were in other ways of much assistance to 

 me, I here make acknowledgment of my sincere obligations. 



v.— LONDON. 

 17. MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



DEPARTMENT OF BRITISH MUSEUM, CROMWELL ROAD, S. W. 



In its contents the Natural History Museum in London unquestion- 

 ably occupies the first place among all such nuiseums of the world. 

 The portion to which the public is admitted is unusually extensive and 

 is open daily from morning until evening. The visitors are not counted 

 b}' turnstiles and the numbers published annually are consequent!}' not 



