

INTRODUCTION. 



In October, 1861, when the Natural History Collections 

 presented to the Town of Liverpool by the Grandfather of 

 the present Earl of Derby were removed from Duke Street 

 to the building which they now occupy, the question arose, 

 how should the Museum be made as fully as possible to 

 answer the requirements of the population by whom it was 

 to be supported, under the provisions of the Library and 

 Museum Act. 



The Curator, Mr. Moore, whose valuable services are well 

 known and highly appreciated, having on his hands, besides 

 the duties of general superintendence, the re-arrangement of 

 the extensive series of Mammalia and Birds, together with 

 preparations for the reception of a similar series of Fishes 

 and Reptiles, availed himself of my offer of assistance in 

 obtaining and arranging a collection of Invertebrate Animals, 

 our stock of which at that time included little beyond some 

 corals and a few very miscellaneous specimens. 



The accommodation available for the proposed collection 

 consisted of the central areas of a suite of five rooms, 27 feet 

 in breadth, the total length being 250 feet. Space was thus 

 provided for 20 table cases, each 10 feet long, set trans- 

 versely. 



One important point was therefore settled by the shape 

 of the building. The series had to be conformed to a linear 

 arrangement. In some respects this was a serious disadvan- 



NoTE. — The substance of the greater part of this Introduction appeared 

 in Nature, Jan. 12 and April 20, 1871. 



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