A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



firmed this character, and it was given the final touch 

 by the reception, about the middle of the century, of 

 the magnificent Assyrian collection just exhumed at 

 the seat of old Nineveh by Mr. (afterwards Sir Henry) 

 Layard. Since then these collections, with additions 

 of similar character, have formed by far the most im- 

 portant feature of the British Museum. But in the 

 mean time archaeology has become a science. 



THE MUSEUM OP NATURAL HISTORY 



Within recent years the natural history collection 

 has been removed in toto from the old building to a 

 new site far out in South Kensington, and the casual 

 visitor is likely to think of it as a separate institution. 

 The building which it occupies is very modern in ap- 

 pearance as in fact. It is a large and unquestionably 

 striking structure, and one that gives opportunity for 

 very radical difference of opinion as to its architectu- 

 ral beauty. By some it is much admired ; by others 

 it is almost equally scoffed at. Certain it is that it 

 will hardly bear comparison with the parent build- 

 ing in Great Russell Street. 



Interiorly, the building of the natural history 

 museum is admirably adapted for its purpose. Its 

 galleries are for the most part well lighted, and the 

 main central hall is particularly well adapted for an 

 exhibition of specimens, to which I shall refer more 

 at length in a moment. For the rest there is no strik- 

 ing departure from the conventional. Perhaps it is 

 not desired that there should be, since long experience 

 seems to have settled fairly well the problem of greatest 

 economy of space, combined with best lighting fa- 



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