The School Museum. 101 



Chapter KIT. 



THE SCHOOL MUSEUM. 



Every school, no matter what its grade or condition, 

 should have a museum. In Chapter VII the matter 

 of vacation collections will be considered. The present 

 chapter has rather to do with the preparation and arrange- 

 ment of specimens which may from time to time drift 

 into the school-room and become part of a permanent 

 collection. 



1. Classification. No rigid scientific arrangement is 

 recommended. Many systems are in vogue. The simplest 

 is to conform to the great kingdoms of nature. Thus the 

 separation of all minerals, vegetable forms, animal products, 

 into groups would form the first rude attempt at classifica- 

 tion. As the collection grows, it will be found necessary to 

 sub-classify each of the above groups. Thus specimens 

 having an historic value may be separated from others, no 

 matter to what kingdom they belong. Animal collections 

 may be subdivided into insect collections, egg collections, 

 and so forth. 



2. Preparation. Seed collections are best arranged in 

 small phials or pill-boxes. Each phial or box should be 

 labelled, and the entire set of boxes placed in a larger one, so 

 that they may be taken down at a moment's notice. I 

 have found it convenient to place the smallest seeds in 

 homoeopathic phials, and arrange these in Clark's O. N. T. 

 thread-boxes, larger seeds in boxes of the same kind, and 

 the thread-boxes placed in a shoe-box just large enough to 

 hold them. 



