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1995] ON THE FORMATION OF LOCAL COLLECTIONS. 153 
done at the local museum is to encourage children to intelligently 
observe natural objects. A few reference books may be kept at 
hand or the children may be taken to the public library and shown 
a good picture or analytical drawing of the animal or plant and 
given a short account of it to read, or they may be taken to the 
shore or fields and assisted to learn the habits of the animal or 
something about the growth and nature of the plant. All speci- 
mens brought to the museum by them should be marked with the 
donor’s name on the card and immediately given a place in the 
“Recent Accession’’ case. 
Gifts to the collection should always be promptly acknow- 
ledged by letters or by filled out blanks which are more conve- 
nient. It is surprising what pleasure these acknowledgments 
give even to older persons, while children show them to their 
friends with evident pride. In fact everyone appreciates a prompt 
response and even the most trivial gift should not be overlooked 
for it frequently happens, after a few worthless objects have been 
dutifully acknowledged, that a really valuable addition comes 
from a person thus encouraged. 
An important duty of the local society, through its mu- 
seum, is to aid in the effort now being made to protect our na- 
tive birds and preserve our rarer wild flowers. Much may be 
accomplished in this direction, not only by personal appeal to 
thoughtless and selfish collectors and by the combined influence 
of the membership of the society upon them, but the museum col- 
lections, if reasonably complete and freely accessible to the pub- 
lic, will in a great measure obviate the necessity and curb the 
desire for making trivial private collections. Collectors should 
be encouraged to add new specimens to the museum and the du- 
plication of those already there should be discouraged. Efforts 
should be made to interest the community in the museum and 
make everyone feel a personal pride and proprietorship in it. The 
children, having been interested in the life histories of plants and 
animals, may be taught to be of great assistance in obtaining de- 
sirable objects for the museum and at the same time discouraged 
from collecting indiscriminately and merely for the purpose of 
accumulating specimens. The thorough knowledge of a few ani- 
