SESSION 1894-95. xliii 



cabinets, each containiug some special class of objects, such as 

 food-products, woods, etc. Those wishing- to organize a plan for 

 circulations of this kind should consult a paper by Mr. J. Chard 

 in the Eeport of the IMuseums Association for 1890. 



The educational advantages of a museum were much increased 

 by a liberal use of pictorial illustrations placed as near as possible 

 to the objects illustrated. In the case of minute objects drawings 

 on a larger scale were of the highest value, while models and casts 

 were often of the utmost service. Labels should be clear, and 

 should indicate tlie most important points in plain language. When 

 specimens could be replaced without difficulty, a certain amount 

 of handling might be permitted. It was most desirable that over- 

 crowding should be avoided, and that the utmost care should be 

 taken in the selection of type-specimens. Much economy of space 

 Avould result from the adoption of an American invention which 

 he would briefly describe. The side of the cabinet, instead of 

 having one slide for each drawer, has a series of slides, one inch 

 apart, all the way up the side, the bottom of each drawer having 

 a tongue to fit into one of these slides. It was clear from this that 

 the drawers might be made in multiples of an inch and arranged 

 in any order desired. 



4. Central Referees for Nomenclature and Classification. — One of 

 the greatest difficulties which the average curator of a small 

 museum had to deal with was the nomenclature of the various 

 specimens under his charge. An organization of specialists who 

 would for a small fee allow specimens to be forwarded to them 

 for identification would be of the greatest possible value. Certain 

 abstruse questions might not even then be easy to answer ; but if 

 nine-tenths of our museum specimens could be accurately catalogued 

 a great step in the right direction would be taken. 



5. The most satisfactory Method of making Museums attractive.- — 

 To those who know the museums at South Kensington, or some 

 of the equally well-arranged local museums, this heading might 

 seem unnecessary. But many present might be able to call to 

 mind some collection in a country town containing many most 

 valuable local specimens, the very existence of which was unknown 

 to the majority of the inhabitants. This state of things Was yearly 

 becoming rarer ; but many persons could point out some museum 

 almost as much fossilized as the fossils it contained, with labels 

 cither illegible from age or invisible from displacement. Those 

 who casually entered such museums seldom revisited them. It 

 was most desirable that the English as well as the Latin name 

 of a specimen should be given. Much might be done to allow of 

 comparisons between creatures of different families or genera. 

 Thus, at the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, the 

 skeletons of a man and of a horse in the attitude of running had 

 recently been placed the one in front of the other, so that the 

 relations of the two, bone for bone, could be distinctly seen. The 

 surgical, ordinary, and veterinary names of the bones were added 

 throughout. 



