10 



1 • 



I 



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fur their pi'Dper display; and lastly, the study of Natural Histojj at L 

 proper, to be product i\(? of real and lasting ])euefit, must be pursii'uljy o 

 with the assistance and constant employment of the actual and tangiaaatter 

 organic beings from which its principles have been deduced. ioDs. 



And this ler.ds me to the consideration of the second portion of laajidle 

 subject, \i/.: tlie pur[)ose and use of Natural History Mnsenms, nioarisoi 

 particularly in connection with institutions of learning, and the neci It is 

 sity wliich exists for the enlargement of that now in our possession, latura 

 wliat I haAC said of the value of Natural History training is corrtiS .tliei 

 surely it is a matter of importance that the subject should be propesjiiuei 

 approached, and that in its teadiing those methods should be emploplatiou 

 whidi experience has sliown to yield the best results. Now Xatiioave s; 

 History being, as I have before rcmarlied, an observational study, aco. inu 

 essentially practical in its methods aud tendencies, is never so vAgassi 

 learned as by act'ial practice, under proper guidance. The mind3ettor 

 the student uiust from the outset be accustomed to the contemplatimore s 

 of actual sensible objects and not to mere iutangible ideas, whigo hiin 

 e\en if they are thorouglily understood, lea\e a far less lasting impiprOgre 

 sion upon the mind. And it is here, 1. tliiuk, more than anywhere elorougl 

 tliat popular judgment with reference to Natural History Museums The 

 at fault. These are too apt to be regarded entirely apart from tlitTnlNei 

 educational influences ; each is siipposfd to l)e a mere collection of iProviii 

 riosities, a sort of" omnium gatherum " or lifeless menagerie, desigii-ier as 

 as partly implied by the unfortunate name they bear, solely for the puitj sb 

 ])0se of amusement. And this, I fear, is too often the case where siapon 

 collections are kept entirely apart from educational institutions, or:;hiis 

 least where they are not employed as a means of intellectual progr?oui'S(^ 

 or for the prosecution of original research.* But surely this canntjl i-^his i 

 said of such a museum as our own, the contents of which are emplowho, 

 almost daily in the actual workof instruction, where studetits especigreatt 

 interested in any particular branch of Natural History may find sivince. 

 materials as are necessary for tlic prosecution of their work, nay wlitaugh 

 auy one, desirous of information relative to the animals, plants or iiiprove 



I • erals of this J'rovince, may find them fully exemplified, and so arraiuiome 



as to show at a glance their relationship to similar forms from otbooks. 



;{ parts of the world. These relationships can nt^ver be fully understotext- 



*A good illiistraUou of tliis fact, and one groafiy to bo regretted, is fiirnisIicHl by tlie Mu-'*"™ 

 of t!i(' Meclmiiics' Institute in St. John. Tlie latter contains u considerable amount of *'*''^"3 J] nof i> 

 uiibic iTiateriiil, l>ut so entirely without arranjjeinent, ho buried in dust, and .so encuiubereii 



:' , iiaieh i liat is absolut<'ly worthless, as to be almost entirely uselois for the fiirtlierance of l'*'\;|rhic'] I 



* ' pui'piise, which is that of instruction. 



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— w 



