MUSEUMS. 



86 



account of the specimens, (heir relation to the history of the dynasty 

 to which they belong and to contemporary specimens exhibited 



elsewhere, is in preparation by the Director, and he hopes to be 

 able to record its issue in his next Beport. 



Dr. Philip Nelson and Mr. Samuel Smith, -Tunr., who have 

 generously ottered their services in the preparation of a Catalogue of 

 the Coin Collection in the Museum, are far advanced with their 

 work, and it is hoped that their volume will also be issued before the 

 end of 1905. 



Since the enlargement of the Museums to nearly three times their 

 former size, no m-w appointments to the Scientific Staff have been 

 made. Now the need of at least one additional assistant, with a 

 general acquaintance with the Arthropoda, and a special knowledge 

 Of one, or perhaps more, of its Classes, is increasingly felt. Large 

 accessions to this great group -to which the Class ' Insecta, con- 

 taining over 2-50,000 named species, the largest group in the animal 

 kingdom, belongs- -have accumulated during the last few years; 

 they urgently require attention to prevent their deterioration* and 

 setting and arrangement to render them available for study— a' task 

 which will occupy all the time of a competent zoologist 'for 80 me 

 years. The Director (in addition to his increasing administrative 

 duties), together with his two Biological Assistants, is alone 

 responsible for the determination, arrangement and exposition of the 

 representatives of every group of the animal and vegetable kingdoms 

 m the Museums, a range of subjects necessitating in the British 

 Museum the employment of no fewer than -35 specialists. 



The following very important letter by Professor Pay Lankester, 

 F.P.S., Director of the Natural History Departments of the 

 British Museum, on the subject of Museums and Natuke Study, 

 was, with the very kind sanction of its author, reprinted and 

 distributed to the Head Masters and Principals of many of the 

 schools in Liverpool and District by the Director of Museums : 



16th March, 15)04. 

 My Dear Sir,— I have received a letter from the Rev. Claude 

 Hinscliff making enquiries as to the Natural History Museum 

 and nature study. 



