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Resolutely refuse to contend with larger communities, to adopt 

 less definite objects. "Kave the courage to decline to accept any 

 specimens whatever that do not actually belong to your own 

 district. There is surely no reason why the British Museum 

 should swallow up all the provincial institutions, and a district 

 so exceedingly rich as Malvern ought to have a Musuem of 

 its own."* 



More recently, on the occasion of the Cambridge meeting of 

 the British Association in 1862, Professor Huxley introduced 

 the same topic, in his address from the chair as President of the 

 Natural History Section, referring at the same time to the 

 Ipswich Museum, which he designated as one of the best 

 Museums in the world, from its carrying out the right principles 

 upon which provincial Museums should be formed, and from its 

 having avoided the errors of almost all similar establishments. 



It wiUbe noticed that the ^rea^rpptpf-v^h^t has been said 

 above is in reference to the formation of new Museums just 

 rising into existence. It will generally be difficult to apply the 

 same principles to Museums of long standing, where we already 

 find large collections not in strict keeping with the rules laid 

 down, and the building perhaps nearly full. AH that we can do 

 here is to make the best of the circumstances of the case, and to 

 regulate what shall and what shall not be admitted into the 

 Museum hereafter. Such is in great measure the case with the 

 Museum of the Bath Literary and Scientific Institution, into 

 which I invited the Members of this Club to bring the 

 specimens they obtained in their field excursions. At the same 

 time that Museum is not without some very valuable collections 

 in illustration of certain departments of Natural History. I need 

 but mention Mr. Moore's extensive series of palaeontological 

 .specimens, acquired, for the most part, I believe, either In the 



* The above is quoted in "Hints on the formation of Local 

 Museums," p. 50. 



