164 THE ANATOMICAL MUSEUM. 



The museum bad long wanted supervision and 

 improvement, as well as extension ; and Goodsir had 

 literally to create new departments in the collection. 

 As showing the enthusiasm which guided him, he and 

 two or three assistants were engaged in the museum 

 two hours before breakfast when light permitted, then 

 from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m., and again in the evenings for 

 an hour or more. He also had the labours of his 

 teaching and superintendence of the Practical Rooms 

 during the session. With heart and soul in the work, 

 he effected a complete regeneration of the museum. 

 With the exception of the specimens furnished by 

 the first and second Monros, the comparative anatomy 

 collection is very much Goodsirs creation, being devel- 

 oped under his directing hand. His thorough training 

 in all descriptions of anatomical work made him the 

 most suitable person in Scotland for the new under- 

 taking ; and now the museum offers as fine specimens 

 as any collection in Europe— not so extensive and 

 varied as some, but, in its own special walk, almost 

 unequalled. There is an entire series of the anatomy 

 of the Echinodermata, and of the finest kind. The 

 same may be said of the ascidian molluscs and 

 whalebone class of preparations. The interest he 

 took in the study of the electrical organs of fishes of 

 different species will account for the numerous dissec- 

 tions of the torpedo, etc., and the excellent mode in 

 which the batteries and minute nervous threads of 

 other animals of the class are shown. The cuttle-fish 

 was a favourite study of Goodsir's, and is demon- 



