CORRESPONDENCE 



" Anlagen." 



The word "blast," proposed (Natural Science, v., p. 368) as an equivalent 

 for the German "Anlage," has the certain!)' great merit of shortness, but has it 

 not likewise some shocking demerits in the way of earlier associations ? We are 

 accustomed indeed to the blast of a bugle or a trumpet ; but what is to be thought 

 about " the blast of an organ " ? I venture to suggest " primule " as an irre- 

 proachable term. 



Salt Hill, Galway. W. E. Hart. 



The Museums' Association. 



Asa member of the Museums' Associa'tion I read the note entitled " Science at 

 a Picnic," in your August number, with much interest, not unmixed with astonish- 

 ment at your boldness. Now that I have returned from a distant land where 

 even Natural Science did not penetrate, I have read the replies from the 

 Secretaries of the Association, and from a member of the Dublin Local Com- 

 mittee, to which your strictures not unnaturally gave rise. Now it would 

 be affectation on my part to overlook the fact that I am the member of the 

 Association alluded to by Messrs. Platnauer, Howarth, and Johnson, who appeared 

 at the last moment with " some notes," " of an extremely discursive nature," "which 

 he wished to descant upon," etc., etc. If this paper of mine — which certainly was 

 discursive in that it dealt with fifteen museums in different parts of the world — is 

 one of those to which you alluded as having been burked, I beg leave to state 

 that you are in error. I had absolutely no locus standi. Not only did I send no 

 intimation of my paper till after the programme was printed, but though 1 had 

 received most courteous permission by telegraph to read the paper on the first day, 

 I did not appear with it till the last day ; and in spite of this I met with the 

 utmost consideration at the hands of the officers of the Association, of various 

 members of the local committee, and especially of Professor Johnson himself. I 

 may also add that, although my paper is one of great length, it has been most 

 cordially accepted for publication in the Report of the Association. 



After saying this, I do not think I can possibly be misunderstood if I venture to 

 express my agreement with your main thesis. Without referring to what was 

 privately said by other unofficial members of the Association, I need only state 

 that I, at least, was one of those who " could ill spare their time," and to whom, 

 consequently, " the insertion of a day's excursion between the two days of meeting 

 proved vexatious." This, indeed, was the very reason why I was unable to intimate 

 my intention of attending the meeting ; and after all I only managed to be present 

 by travelling two nights in succession. It is perfectly possible, as Professor Johnson 

 says, that discussion " was invited once or twice, and was not forthcoming." People 

 who have the most to say are not likely to speak when the allotted time has already 

 been exceeded Silence is especially golden when the luncheon hour has struck 

 and much business has yet to be got through. It would be invidious to mention 

 special papers, and obviously one cannot give the names of members who undoubtedly 

 would have spoken on them had time permitted. It is enough to contrast the state- 

 ment of the Secretaries that " the volume of Proceedings of the Dublin Meeting 

 will be the largest that has ever been published by the Association," with the 

 other statement, also by the Secretaries, that only seven hours "were devoted to 

 papers and discussions. F. A. Bather. 



[Our Comments on this subject were written with full knowledge of the circum- 

 stances attending Mr. Bather's oration. We did not count it among the papers 

 of which the reading and discussion were unduly curtailed. — Eo.j 



