BURTON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 161 
the Society. Whilst we are anxious, as far as our means will 
permit, to assist the student in gaining some knowledge of the 
Natural History of foreign climes, our particular attention 
will be given to the acquisition of Native specimens, and more 
especially of those found in our more immediate neighbour- 
hood.” 
Sir Oswald Mosley then goes on to enumerate some of the 
contents of the museum, among which he speaks of the Pole- 
cat as being sufficiently common—now, fifty years later, almost 
if not quite extinct in this district. He also speaks of a good 
series of British birds. Among fresh-water fish he mentions, 
besides those which abounds in other parts of the kingdom, 
as being almost peculiar to this district: the Grayling, little 
known in the South; the Burbolt, which seldom occurs. except 
in the Trent and its tributary streams; that the rare fish, the 
spined Loach, is not infrequent in the deeper parts of our 
river; and that the Ten-spined Stickleback is met with in a 
small brook near the Railway Station!!! He also speaks of 
mineralogical, geological, botanical, and antiquarian collec- 
tions. 
The museum remained opened to the public for a period of 
about 16 years, and according to my recollection of it con- 
tained very fine collections of British birds and coal measure 
fossils, besides other and more miscellaneous objects. In 1858 
it came to an end under circumstances not very creditable to 
the public spirit of the town at that time. A fee of sixpence 
was charged for admission, but, of course, these fees went a 
very small way towards defraying the expenses of the Institu- 
tion, the deficit being made up by subscriptions. 
I will now read part of a letter received from Mr. Robert 
Thornewill describing its latter days and final extinction. 
Mr. Thornewill writes: ‘‘ The subscriptions fell off, and it 
was impossible to continue the museum, and it was proposed 
to break up the collections. Sir Oswald Mosley and my father 
bought it from the depositors and maintained it at their joint 
