October 29, 1891] 



NA TURE 



62 



required to bring it into good exhibition and teaching 

 order. I would suggest that in a collection illustrating 

 geology (and not the zoology of extinct animals, so often 

 in museums confounded with that science) the strati- 

 graphical arrangement should be followed as strictly as 

 possible, and also that there should be a good series 

 illustrating dynamical geology, or the processes by which 

 the materials forming the earth's crust have been 

 fashioned and arranged as we now see them. 

 »' (3) Animal Biology. This section occupies about two- 

 thirds of the floor space of the Museum, and is at present 

 broken up into various small series involving much repe- 

 tition and duplication, and also difficulty of finding any 

 particular object or illustration required. 



In the middle of the hall is a series of specimens merely 

 showing the external appearance of certain groups of 

 animals, stuffed vertebrates and the shells of mollusks, 

 and stony skeletons of corals, &c. If this collection 

 were incorporated in the general series of animal biology, 

 not only would much duplication be avoided, but a more 

 instructive and scientific exhibition would be provided. 

 Many of the present specimens of this series, especially 

 the mounted mammals and birds, are in such bad con- 

 dition that they have no educational value— they only 

 mislead instead of teaching ; but before destroying them 

 they should all be submitted to the examination of some 

 expert in the group to which they belong, as there may 

 be interesting or rare specimens among thein, though 

 their value is scarcely to be recognized by the ordinary 

 observer in their present condition. 



The imperfection of any zoological series that does not 

 illustrate extinct as well as recent forms is continually 

 becoming more apparent as science advances ; some 

 attempts have already been made to remedy this defect 

 in the zoological series, but a considerable transfer of 

 specimens to it from the department of geology will 

 result in advantage to both. 



By a rearrangement of the biological series, with incor- 

 poration of the so-called zoological specimens (excluding 

 the Hope Collection, which I presume is always to be 

 kept apart) much economy of space could be effected, 

 and some of the confusion which now appears to exist in 

 this department of the Museum in consequence of the 

 numerous apparently independent serieS of specimens 

 will be obviated. 



The great question of the primary arrangement of the 

 biological collection, whether on the physiological or 

 Hunterian system, or upon a system based upon zoo- 

 logical classification, will have to be carefully considered. 

 Much is to be said for either, but whichever is adopted 

 should follow the method of teaching of the professor 

 and his assistants. The point to be aimed at is that 

 every specimen should be readily found, and be in juxta- 

 position with other specimens which are related to it, 

 and which should be studied in conjunction with it. As 

 the classification of animals, except as regards the 

 greater divisions, is still a matter of much uncertainty, 

 and continually changing according to the advance of 

 knowledge, or the opinions of individual zoologists, it is 

 not a satisfactory basis for the arrangement of a collec- 

 tion intended to illustrate principles rather than details. 

 On the other hand, the Hunterian system often brings 

 into juxtaposition specimens related only by some remote 

 analogy of function, and having no real correspondence or 

 homology. Probably a zoological arrangement for the 

 main divisions, and one based upon a comparison of 

 organs or systems for the secondary divisions, will, on 

 the whole, be found most convenient. 



I am hardly in a position to say how far the Professor 

 of Physiology requires a special collection to illustrate 

 his teaching Probably the general biological series will 

 supply all that is necessary to refer to in illustration of 

 his lectures, especially as the tendency of modern phy- 



NO. I 148, VOL. 44] 



siology seems to be to separate itself from morphology, 

 and confine itself more to biological chemistry and 

 dynamics. 



Another question which has been raised is, whether 

 human anatomy, as distinguished from general biology, 

 requires a separate section of the Museum, and how the 

 great and important collection of crania of the races of 

 men, which under Prof. Rolleston became one of the 

 special features of the Museum, should be treated and 

 utilized for instruction. These are questions that time 

 will probably solve. Much depends upon the view taken 

 of the duties of the Lecturer on Human Anatomy, whether 

 he should teach upon a broad and philosophical basis, or 

 whether he should aim mainly at enabling his pupils to 

 pass the standard now required by the examining bodies. 

 But this trenches upon the larger and more complex 

 subject of what should be the aim of the University in 

 keeping up a Medical School. 



The Pathological Collection will, of course, remain as 

 at present under the care of the Professor of Medicine. 



In looking round the Museum at the present time, one 

 of its greatest wants appears to me to be proper labelling. 

 The different sections of the Museum should be distinctly 

 marked off from each other. Every case should have a 

 conspicuous label on the top of it, indicating the nature 

 of its contents. Every specimen should have one in- 

 dicating why it is there and what it teaches. This will 

 involve a large amount of labour and expense in printing, 

 but it is absolutely necessary, if the collections are to 

 fulfil the purpose for which they are formed. It is a 

 mistake to spend much time, labour, and cost in obtain- 

 ing, preparing, and preserving a specimen, and then to 

 stop short of the one thing needed to make it of use. 

 Better have fewer specimens in a complete state. A 

 printing press might be established iri the building and 

 kept constantly at work, but as it would be difficult to 

 apportion the claims upon its services of the different 

 curators, it might be better to make an arrangement 

 with the University Press by which labels (of a uniform 

 character) for the whole Museum would be printed at a 

 fixed charge, and paid for out of the funds of the depart- 

 ment requiring them. As in a large number of cases 

 only a single copy of a label is required, it is possible that 

 some system of type-writing might be more economical, 

 and nearly, if not quite, as effectual. 



Of the importance of complete catalogues of every 

 department of the Museum, it would seem almost super- 

 fluous to speak, were it not obvious that much is needed 

 in this respect. 



Lastly, it appears to me that, although more work- 

 rooms and class-rooms may be necessary for the growing 

 needs of the scientific departments of the University, 

 there is ample space in the present building for some 

 time to come for the exhibited portion of the Museum. 

 The collections are rich, contain many instructive and 

 valuable objects, and do great credit to the zeal and 

 energy of those by whom they have been brought together. 

 What is really required now is, not so much that they 

 should be increased, as that they should be better arranged, 

 better cared for, and that all inferior and defective speci- 

 mens should be gradually replaced by better ones. Oxford 

 has done very much in past times to initiate and keep up 

 a high standard of museum work, but it must not be 

 overlooked that great advances are being made in this 

 respect, not only in this country but all over the Continent, 

 and the standard is being continually raised. All such 

 work is both laborious and costly, but when done the 

 result is fully commensurate to the labour and expense 

 bestowed upon it. An ill-arranged museum has been well 

 compared to the letters of the alphabet tossed about in- 

 discriminately, meaning nothing ; a well-arranged one to 

 the same letters placed in such orderly sequence as to 

 produce words of counsel and instruction. 



