The Fauna of Bath, as illustrated by the Duncan Local Museum. 
By G. Norman, Esq., M.B. 
(Read March 13th, 1889 ). 
The foundation of a local natural history collection for Bath 
was laid many years ago by the Brothers Duncan, in honour of 
whom the collection has been named, 
It owes, however, its present value to the assiduous and 
untiring energy of the Rev. Leonard Blomefield, the venerable 
President of the Bath Field Club. 
He anticipated by many years the recent recommendations of 
the British Association as to provincial museums generally, viz., 
that the purposes of science would be best served by the 
formation of collections as complete as possible of a local 
character, rather than by the accumulation of collections of a 
general character, which could be rarely rendered complete 
enough to serve any useful purpose. 
Thus, in 1866, in a report of the Museum sub-Committee, he 
said :—‘‘ The Committee take this opportunity of drawing the 
attention of the public to the much greater degree to which the 
usefulness and efficiency of the Museum would be increased, if 
an endeavour were made to acquire, as far as possible, a complete 
collection of the animals of the neighbourhood of Bath. Local 
collections of this kind are not only what are of most value and 
interest to students of natural history in the district, but what 
seems to come more immediately within the province of a local 
establishment. . . . . . . . It is hoped by making this 
statement to all friends of the Institution, that they will use 
their influence in obtaining for it specimens in illustration of the 
fauna of Bath and Somerset, which the Committee think would 
be preferable to any large increase in the foreign collections. 
“ These last, unless restricted to a carefully selected and well- 
arranged series of type-forms, representative simply of the larger 
groups, serve very imperfectly for the purpose of science or the 
instruction of the public.” 
Vou, 7, Nook 
