SYMPOSIUM OX SCIENCE AND RECONSTRUCTION 59 



be impossible from the study of texts alone. fc>ucli an 

 exhibit is made intelligible by means of models, drawings 

 of the animals, diagrams of their structure, and descrip- 

 tive labels binding the whole exhibit into a comprehensive 

 unit. 



The student may get from the museum an interpretation 

 of the many phenomena observed in nature which are 

 totally incomprehensible to him without such aid. The 

 interrelationships of animals and plants may be shown by 

 means of groups, transparent photographs, and specially 

 arranged specimens. Under the skilful hands of the artist, 

 the sculptor and the naturalist the animals and plants in 

 natural groups are made to live again and to show in an 

 interesting manner their modes of life, their associates, 

 both friends and enemies, and the working of the great 

 biological laws that are ever adjusting these creatures to 

 their environment. 



The testimony of the rocks, under the hand of the 

 trained geologist, may tell us of the great drama that has 

 been played during the long period of time that has elapsed 

 since the dawn of life on our globe, and by the proper 

 arrangement of the objects that we call fossils, which are 

 the Ixidies of the actors, there may be unfolded a continu- 

 ous picture of the different acts in this great drama, during 

 which life has passed through so many changes and has 

 finally culminated in Man. who thus boldly chronicles the 

 history of his long pilgrimage. 



The museum may not alone be confined to the exhibition 

 of those objects related to pure science. Here the student 

 taking a commercial course may study the evolution of 

 some common commodity from the raw material to the 

 finished product — pearl buttons from river mussels and 

 pearl oysters, silk from the silkworm, cloth from the cotton 

 field, oil from petroleum, and so on down the list. And the 

 farmer may come to the museum and see in a group the 

 enemies of his corn field, his orchard, and his grains, and 

 he will be able to comprehend better, after seeing the care- 

 fully prepared gi'oups, just how the insect damages his 

 crop and also how best to combat this enemy. Of course, 

 all this information is available in the literature, but a 

 model will give at a glance more real information than 

 pages of description. 



