288 ON THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY x 



That need is not met by constructing a sort of 

 happy hunting-ground of miles of glass cases; 

 and, under the pretence of exhibiting everything 

 putting the maximum amount of obstacle in the 

 way of those who wish properly to see anything. 



What the public want is easy and unhindered 

 access to such a collection as they can understand 

 and appreciate ; and what the men of science want 

 is similar access to the materials of science. To 

 this, end the vast mass of objects of natural 

 history should be divided into two parts one 

 open to the public, the other to men of science, 

 every day. The former division should exemplify all 

 the more important and interesting forms of life. 

 Explanatory tablets should be attached to them, 

 and catalogues containing clearly- written popular 

 expositions of the general significance of the 

 objects exhibited should be provided. The latter 

 should contain, packed into a comparatively small 

 space, in rooms adapted for working purposes, the 

 objects of purely scientific interest. For example, 

 we will say I am an ornithologist. I go to 

 examine a collection of birds. It is a positive 

 nuisance to have them stuffed. It is not only 

 sheer waste, but I have to reckon with the ideas 

 of the bird-stuffer, while, if I have the skin and 

 nobody has interfered with it, I can form my own 

 judgment as to what the bird was like. For 

 ornithological purposes, what is needed is not 

 glass cases full of stuffed birds on perches, but 



