2 



It may be well to preface this subject -v^-itli a few remarks 

 respecting the beginning of Museums, at least in this country, so 

 far as history has handed it down to us, — the feelings and 

 motives which seem to have originally led to collecting objects 

 of Natural History, — and the changes which have gradually come 

 over Museums, due to the progress made in the Natural Sciences 

 in modern times. This of itself will assist in forming our ideas 

 respecting the best plan for a Museum, and the rules that should 

 guide us in the selection of objects to be exhibited in it. 



I need hardly remind my hearers that the word Museum, 

 which is of classic origin, has a much wider meaning now than 

 it had at first. The term literally signifies " a place dedicated 

 to the Muses ; " and it seems to have been applied in the first 

 instance to buildings set apart for literary purposes, either for 

 study or for the reception of such literary works as the ancients 

 possessed. In more modern times the word came generally to 

 signify respositories of art, or any institutions, whether public or 

 private, in which were to be found collections of statuary, 

 paintings, antiquities, or other objects, serving to illustrate 

 different branches of knowledge and research. And it was 

 probably so used before any special collections of Natural 

 History had been yet fornied, or any taste for collecting in this 

 department of science had yet shown itself. Now, however, as 

 we are aware, the word is more commonly understood in reference 

 to assemblages of natural objects, though still occasionally 

 applied to collections in the fine arts, &c., as formerly. Indeed 

 nature and art have often been united to give interest and value 

 to some of our public institutions, as in the case of the British 

 Museum.* 



When collectors first turned their attention to objects of 



* See more on this subject in an Essay read to the Ashmolean 

 Society, by the late Mr. Philip Duncan, entitled "History of 

 Museums," from which assistance has been derived here. 



