FIRST WINTER MEETING. XXV11. 



Holland delivered his opening address, entitled " The Classification of 

 Scientific Societies," which was printed in " Nature " of September 16th. 



The first subject for discussion was " Local Museums," suggested by 

 the Selborne Society, and introduced by Dr. W. E. Hoyle. He laid it 

 down that the first and fundamental function of a museum was to 

 preserve. Museum officials are nowadays given so much advice about 

 the desirability of making our exhibits testhetically attractive, of 

 compiling explanatory labels \\ hich shall at the same time instruct the 

 specialist and interest the casual visitor, and of catering for school 

 children, that they are, he said, in danger, perhaps, of forgetting that 

 their paramount duty is to see that "neither moth nor rust doth 

 corrupt " and that " thieves do not break through nor steal." 



He gave a definition of a local museum, the first duty of which, he 

 maintained, was to preserve the things of interest pertaining to the 

 locality. Then he touched upon the important and delicate question 

 of the relations which ought to exist between the local museum and the 

 national museum. Difficulties arose when it was required to determine 

 in particular cases what objects were of national importance and should 

 be preserved in a national museum. 



After the first function of a local museum had been adequately 

 discharged, Dr. Hoyle thought that, if means and opportunities allowed, 

 collections should be provided which gave the visitor a preliminary 

 sketch of some department of knowledge. He alluded to "index" 

 collections, though he thought the term "introductory" collections 

 would be more appropriate. Dr. Hoyle had something to say with 

 regard to the coming into touch of the museum with the educational 

 system of the locality; and he saw nothing out of place in a local museum 

 developing a special subject quite disconnected with the locality if it 

 had the power to do so without interfering with its proper work. 



In the discussion which followed, Dr. Bather touched upon principles 

 which should guide local curators in their selection of what should be 

 considered of national and local interest. Type specimens should be 

 placed in museums where they would be well looked after. Moreover, 

 researchers, though they would naturally seek for local objects, such 

 as fossils, in a local museum, ought not to have to look for, say, New 

 Zealand fossils, through all the museums of the British Isles. 



Dr. Marie C. Stopes thought that there might be a balance of good 

 in decentralising collections, even of type specimens ; for the visiting 

 of local museums brings a stimulus to the local people, and widens and 

 humanises the interests of specialists. 



It seemed evident from other remarks that if local museums are to 

 be properly educational, in the general sense of the word, there should 

 be special institutions or special sections of existing museums with their 

 own organisation, so as not to burden curators unduly. 



