ii AMERICAN MUSEUMS 23 



whole case is enclosed by well-fitting glass doors. Every 

 drawer or tray is distinctly labelled to show its contents, 

 while a part of the room (or of an adjacent one) is devoted 

 to a library of books specially treating of the groups 

 stored in it. In such a room the student or specialist 

 finds, close at hand, all that he requires, with ample 

 light, and table-room on which to arrange and compare 

 the specimens he may be studying. The general library 

 is arranged on a similar plan, on tiers of shelves running 

 across the room, with just space to walk between them, 

 the cases being enclosed by open wirework doors ; and it 

 is a striking proof of the purity of the atmosphere in this 

 suburb of Boston, that there was not the least visible 

 accumulation of dust on books which had not been 

 removed or dusted for several years. The fine trees 

 which surround the museum for some distance no doubt 

 greatly assist in preserving a dust-free atmosphere. The 

 vast number of specimens thus conveniently stored can 

 only be realized by seeing the tiers of cases in room after 

 room, the collection being especially rich in fishes, radiate 

 animals, and marine organisms generally. The advantages 

 of the uniform interchangeable drawers are enormous, 

 as they admit of the growth of the collection in any depart- 

 ment and the re-arrangement of the several groups with 

 the least possible amount of labour. To admit of this 

 growth and re -arrangement, a case is here and there left 

 empty ; while even the transference of a large part of 

 the collection from one room to another would be 

 effected with ease and rapidity. 



Booms devoted to the Public. 



Having thus seen the general character of the arrange- 

 ments for students and specialists, let us proceed to 

 examine the rooms devoted to the instruction and 

 amusement of the general public. On entering the 

 building the visitor finds opposite to him an open room, 

 over which is painted in large letters, " Synoptic Room 

 Zoology," and, when inside he finds, on several blank 

 spaces of wall, an intimation that this room contains a 



