xl PROCEEDINGS, 



Especial attention should be given to the products of this Province. 

 They should be scientifically marshalled and their industrial applications 

 carefully and suggestively illustrated. Raw products in every stage of 

 their manufacturing processes should be exhibited. 



The museum should be in charge of a man of the broadest scientific 

 culture, a man of business capacity, and <i thorough teacher. 



A museum thus equipped would do more for science than any college 

 or any other agency. Every visitor from the country would return to 

 his home with his curiosity awakened, arid often with scientific problems 

 or difficulties solved, with a new inspiration for further advances. 



Such an institution would have organic connection with every high 

 school and college in the province, exchanging specimens and thus 

 enriching the local school museums, diffusing scientific information, and 

 stimulating scientific activity. 



How often throughout the last sixteen years have our teachers 

 lamented the want of opportunity in this respect? During their 

 holidays they would have made large collections of interesting objects 

 which they would study in classes formed at the museum. Long since 

 every school in the city, after the example of the German schools, would 

 have been supplied with a respectable collection of labelled specimens 

 for the instruction of their pupils, and the amount of scientific know- 

 ledge and interest would have been increased tenfold. 



For the sake of economy and efficiency the museum and the science 

 library should be in the same building and in charge of the curator of 

 the museum. 



Book arid specimen are complementary and should be drawn as close 

 together as possible. " First of all, their aims are identical, for they 

 have the one end in view, the culture of the people ; secondly, they 

 appeal to the same mental faculties with which all men are endowed in 

 a greater or less degree, and thirdly, to a very great extent one of them, 

 the museum, to carry out its proper functions to a great measure, is 

 dependent on the other. It leans upon it, as it were ; it looks to it to 

 minister to the museum visitors that information which the most 

 comprehensive catalogue and labels in the world would fail to supply."* 



If all the specimens were labelled giving references to the books in 

 which they were best described, placed on a shelf near at hand, the 



* C. W. Wallis, Curator Birmingham Art Galleries and Museum. 



