! the swimming of the 
breeding times, 
two-thirds grown tadpoles of the wood 
frog in definite schools as do fishes and 
the possible presence in the ooze at the 
bottom of the pond of a “nest” of adult 
amblystomas usually sought for on land 
only. 
In working out the educational value 
there was a considerable problem. It 
was necessary to arrange the some one 
hundred animals of the group, besides 
the eggs and tadpoles, in a space a few 
feet square, with clearness for study. 
The final arrangement evolved, aims to 
make a quick appeal to the eye as to a 
distinct separation of different species, 
relationship of different stages of devel- 
opment of a given species, truthful 
position of all in the environment, and 
this with no sacrifice of scientific ac- 
curacy or of the actual probabilities and 
without crowding or arranging in synop- 
tic form which would have killed the 
artistic effect. 
Artistic effect in reptile and amphibian 
groups seems of particular importance, 
a thing to be striven for, for here we 
must overcome a large measure of more 
1The plan of construction of the group in- 
cludes a small pool of water at the left separate 
from the main pond and intended exclusively for 
the American toad with its tadpoles (while the 
specimens of Fowler’s toad with freshly laid eggs 
are in the large pond at the right), so that there 
can be no possible confusion in the comparison of 
the two. 
or less active dislike for the subject. 
The completed group therefore has been 
made an illustration of the fact, but 
recently used in museum installation 
although now recognized as fundamental 
in all work of an educational character, 
that beauty is not incompatible with 
On the 
it may strengthen the 
scientific value in an exhibit. 
other hand, 
appeal of science. 
The following quotation from a letter 
William 
Henry Fox, director of the Museum of 
recently received from Mr. 
the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and 
the 
value in natural history exhibits: 
Sciences, touches matter of art 
My recent visit to the American Museum 
impressed me greatly with the artistic beauty 
of the reptile and amphibian groups. There 
is no reason why artistic effect as well as 
scientific truth should not always be taught 
in this way. I hold that without this essen- 
tial, groups are of little educational value in 
a popular museum. The uninformed public 
must first be “‘taken into camp”’ as it were, 
with a visual impression which gives pleasure. 
I recognized at once in these groups conscious 
employment of the elements that the painter 
uses in making a picture on a flat canvas, 
such as composition, color harmony, the 
chromatic gamut and aérial perspective. 
He employs one medium; here is used another 
means to the common end — namely, the 
interpretation of natural phenomena. One 
of the secrets of the effect is that with all the 
animal and plant species, introduced with 
fidelity to natural effect and ecological order, 
164 
