Animal Report of the Council. xxxvii 



eminence as a naturalist, and to the value of his scientific work, 

 to say that it is pre-eminently as a museum curator and as an 

 exponent of the value and dignity of museum work that he will 

 chiefly be remembered by posterity. He tells us that he began 

 his experiences as a curator in early boyhood, when his collec- 

 tions were " contained in a large, flat, shallow box with a lid," 

 for which he made with his own hands "cardboard trays which 

 filled and fitted the bottom of the box and kept the various 

 specimens separate." He lived in museums, worked for museums, 

 thought over their methods, aims, and organisation, and in several 

 valuable addresses gave to the world his ripest judgments for the 

 instruction and guidance of his successors. To these utterances 

 and to his personal influence is largely due the fact that the voca- 

 tion of a museum curator occupies a higher place in public esti- 

 mation than it did a few years ago. One of his main principles 

 was the absolute separation of what may be called the study 

 collections from the show collections. The former should, he 

 maintained, be as extensive as possible, and should be placed 

 where they can be made as readily available as possible for the 

 use of specialists. The latter should be strictly limited, having 

 regard to the extent of the space available ; every specimen 

 should be so placed that it is distinctly seen, and should be there 

 for some definite purpose which should be clearly set forth on its 

 label. This is the ideal after which curators are now everywhere 

 striving, though the " art of arranging museums " is still in its 

 infancy. Flower's experience of museum work enabled him to 

 appreciate its difficulties. In every curator, however humble, 

 he recognised a colleague, and nothing could exceed the kind- 

 ness and consideration with which he gave counsel and sympathy 

 to all who sought it. 



As the result of a long life devoted to the public service it 

 was natural that honours and distinctions should fall to him. He 

 was President of the Anthropological and Zoological Societies, 

 and in 18S9 of the British Association. In 1S98 he was elected 

 President of the International Zoological Congress, though 

 failing health compelled him to decline the honour. He received 



