96 FROM AN EASY CHAIR 



to the distinguished men of science who for a century 

 and a half have made discoveries and taught there. 

 They are not subject to a board of eminent and wealthy 

 persons, nor is the administration of the antiquities at 

 the Louvre and of the National Library muddled up 

 with that of the great scientific workshop of Natural 

 History. 



When the President of the Republic conceived the 

 plan of entertaining the King of Portugal at the Museum 

 of Natural History there were those who supposed that 

 the Minister of Education would, as a great State 

 official, be called upon to arrange the proceedings. 

 Nothing of the sort was done. It was found that the 

 Minister had no authority in regard to the Museum, 

 which, as an independent State institution, organised 

 and carried out the reception through its own officers. 

 The director and professors received President Fallieres 

 and the King, escorted by the troops of the Republic. 

 The garden and buildings were ablaze with light and 

 colour, and a large company assembled to take part in 

 the fete. In the great hall of the museum Becquerel, 

 Moissan, and others showed their most recent discoveries 

 as to radium, artificial diamonds, and such matters to 

 the King ; others exhibited new birds and fishes, the 

 okapi and newly-discovered fossils, and briefly explained 

 their history and significance. The King conferred 

 decorations on the scientific staff, and gave friendly 

 acknowledgments to all who had thus sought to gratify 

 his special tastes, and prepared for him a really ex- 

 ceptional gala-demonstration of scientific discovery. The 

 official " middle-men," who in other countries contrive 

 to divert the honour and emoluments due to men of 

 science, to their own profit, were on this occasion 

 happily kept at a distance. 



