Nov. 16, 1882 | 
NATURE 
a0 
tion of a building with such elaborate and ornate internal 
decorations for museum purposes. Now that the cases 
are nearly all in position and the specimens are gradually 
being arranged in them, this incongruity between the 
style and objects of the building becomes more and more 
apparent. On the one hand, it is clear that the form, 
position, and illumination of the cases has in many 
instances been sacrificed to a fear of interfering with the 
general architectural effect ; and on the other hand it is 
equally manifest that it will be impossible to make full 
use of the floor space, and especially the best-lighted por- 
tion of it, without seriously detracting from the artistic 
effects designed by the architect. 
Thus we find the beautiful arcade formed by a: series 
of pierced wall-cases in the Coral-gallery has its effect 
totally destroyed by the floor-cases, which it has been 
found necessary to place along the central line ; and in 
the British gallery the vistas designed by the architect 
have been completely marred by the insertion of large 
cases in some of the arches. Again and again we find 
massive columns, beautiful in themselves perhaps, break- 
ing up a line of cases, or throwing their contents into 
deep shade. The peculiar tint of the terra-cotta, too, is 
far from being suitable for making the objects of the 
Museum stand out in relief, and this is particularly 
manifest in the case of the paleontological collections, 
where a great majority of the specimens have a very 
similar colouring. When an attempt has been made to 
remedy this by giving the walls near the objects other 
tints ; it is found that such tints do not harmonize well 
with the general colouring of the building. Nor is the 
wisdom apparent of bringing into close proximity natural- 
history objects with the conventional representations of 
them adopted by architects. The crowding together, on 
the same column or moulding, of representations on the 
same scale of microscopic and gigantic organisms, of 
inhabitants of the sea and of the land, and of the forms 
of life belonging to present and those of former periods 
of the earth’s history, seems to be scarcely warrantable 
in a building designed for educational purposes. 
Greatly as we admire the spacious hall, the grand stair- 
case, the long colonnades, and the picturesque colouring of 
the whole building, we cannot but feel that the adoption of 
sucha semi-ecclesiastical style was a mistake. Wefearthat 
in the future there will be a perpetual conflict between the 
views of the keepers of the Museum-collections and those 
of the architect of the building ; for the erection of cases as 
they may be required in the most convenient and best- 
lighted situations cannot fail to detract from the striking 
and pleasing effects of the architecture. 
Apart from this fundamental objection, however, we 
find nothing but what is praiseworthy in the arrange- 
ments which are being made to worthily exhibit to the 
public these grand collections, of which such large portions 
have been long buried at Bloomsbury. In a few months 
the whole of them will have been removed from their old 
places of exhibition (or more often of sepulture) to the 
new galleries, where the space available for their arrange- 
ment is so much greater. The cases in the Zoological 
Galleries are now almost completed and fitted, and the 
collections of osteology and shells with some of the 
stuffed animals, have been already removed to their new 
home—so that the public may hope to see the transfer of 
the whole of the specimens completed by next spring. 
The keepers of the geological, mineralogical, and 
botanical collections, which are housed in the eastern 
wing and annexes of the building, have had a very diffi- 
cult task to perform. They were called upon to remove 
these collections before the fitting of cases in the new 
buildings was completed, and in consequence of this the 
re-arrangement of the specimens, with the incorporation 
of the valuable material long packed away in the cellars 
at Bloomsbury owing to want of space, was rendered 
additionally laborious and troublesome. These diffi- 
culties have now, for the most part, however, been 
happily overcome. 
The Geological collections, in spite of their vastness 
have been to a great extent arranged. The Mammalian 
and Reptilian Galleries are indeed almost completed, 
and much progress has been made with the Fish Gallery 
and the several rooms devoted to the exhibition of the 
invertebrata and the stratigraphical collections. The 
trustees have been fortunate in securing the services of 
such an experienced paleontologist as Mr. Etheridge to 
second the energetic efforts of Dr. Woodward in this 
department. By the insertion of drawings and tables, 
illustrative of the structure and classification of the fossil 
forms, the value of this part of the collection to students 
has been greatly enhanced. 
In the Mineralogical Gallery everyone must be struck 
by the improvement in the cases, now that the specimens 
are no longer crowded together, as was the case in the 
old museum. At the end of the general gallery, and in 
the adjoining pavilion, there are a number of interesting 
special collections. First and foremost among these is 
the unrivalled series of meteorites, which is now displayed 
to much greater advantage than at Bloomsbury; with 
these are collections of crystals, both artificial and 
natural, of pseudomorphs and of rocks, or mineral aggre- 
gates—the latter being an entirely new feature in this 
department. Large specimens, illustrating the abnormal 
development, the mode of association, and the economic 
uses of minerals are here being arranged, and they make 
avery fine display. Working mineralogists will be thank- 
ful to Mr. Fletcher for his capital design of setting apart 
a case, in which new acquisitions to the collection are 
exhibited for awhile, before being incoporated with the 
general series. 
The portion of the Botanical collection available for 
public exhibition is small, but Mr. Carruthers, the keeper, 
has brought together a capital series of examples of all 
the great divisions of the vegetable kingdom—illustrating 
the dried specimens, where necessary, by drawings and 
models. 
There are two points, however, in connection with the 
establishment concerning which the readers of NATURE 
will naturally be especially desirous of information—first, 
as to the facilities to be afforded to students for examin- 
ing the valuable types and rare specimens in which the 
collections are so rich, and secondly, with respect to the 
improvements which are sought to be made in the 
Museum, regarded from the point of view of an educa- 
tional institution. The surest test of the efficiency of the 
administration of such a museum as this will be found in 
the manner in which these two great objects are attained 
by its keepers. 
Close days for students having been now entirely 
abolished, the trustees of the Museum have provided 
galleries in each of the departments where scientific 
workers can pursue their studies undisturbed. We 
cannot help thinking that this plan is far better than 
the old one, which required original investigators to 
attend on those days of the week when the public were 
not admitted to the galleries—a restriction keenly felt by 
busy men in this country, and more especially by 
foreigners, who had perhaps come to this country with 
the sole object of devoting their time to the study of our 
national collections. As there are valuable reference 
libraries in each of the departments, and a general library 
of scientific journals for the whole establishment, the stu- 
dent has much greater facilities than formerly for carrying 
on his work, and nothing can exceed the courtesy with 
which persons actually engaged in scientific research are 
received and aided by the keepers and their assistants. 
The publication of the series of well-known and 
valuable scientific catalogues is still proceeding. During 
the pressure of work caused by the removal of these vast 
collections, the trustees of the Museum have done wisely 
