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fastidious as to what Ave admit into tliem. If curiosities — mere 

 curiosities — are offered to us, it -would be unwise, jjerhaps, to pass 

 them over entirely, because of little or no scientific value, or not in 

 keeping with the main objects for which our Museum is designed, 

 — at least until we have something better to supply their place. 

 We know not what may arise ou,t of the preservation, for a time, 

 of such sf)ecimens. The mere gazing at a stuffed alligator, a 

 monstrous lamb, the tattoed head of a New Zealand Chief, or a 

 relic of the Eoyal George, may lead to the development of a taste 

 for the works of nature or art, which, but for such accident, might 

 never have been called out. But evidently we must not stop here. 

 Our aim should Ije not merely to gratify the curiosity, but also to 

 instruct the understandings of those who frecjuent our Museums. 

 Having therefore once got a few things together by way of 

 beginning, we must, as soon as jiracticable, consider of a plan by 

 which we can make our Museums of real service, as well to the 

 public generally as to profe»sed naturalists and the interests of 

 science. We must set about introducing method and arrangement 

 into them; — method, as regards the principle upon which, in the 

 main, we are to form our collections ; and arrangement, as regards 

 the best displaying of our specimens for scientific and educational 

 purposes. Our principle may vary with circumstances ; or it may 

 be carried out into more or less of detail, according to our means 

 and according to the room at our conimand. 



Let us suppose, which is the most conmion case, that we wish 

 to have something to show in each of the three great departments 

 of nature. What should we first endeavour to get together with 

 this vieAV 1 Now I think it will be generally allowed, as regards 

 provincial Museums, we ought to make it our especial aim, in the 

 first instance, to collect th:> productions of our OAvn neighbourhood. 

 These are what would have most attraction for residents in the 

 district who are disposed to take up the study of Natural History, 

 as well as what would most assist them in their pursuits. The 

 first thini!- a man does M'ho wishes to be more of a naturalist than 



