6 
NATURE 
[Vov. 16, 1882 
to avail themselves of the aid of specialists from outside, 
in connection with certain of the collections. Thus the 
collection of the fossil foraminifera has been arranged by 
Prof. T. Rupert Jones, whose catalogue of the same has 
been recently published. Dr. Hinde has in the same 
way dealt with the grand collection of fossil sponges ; and 
his illustrated catalogue of them is now in the press. 
But while the purely scientific objects of the Museum 
are not being lost sight of, we are glad to find that the 
greatest efforts are being directed by the keepers to the 
development of the institution as a means of popular edu- 
cation. In addition to the three admirable guides, pub- 
lished at the low price of one penny each, other popular 
works in illustration of the collection are being prepared. 
Thus Mr. Fletcher has written a penny guide to the 
collection of meteorites, in which he has drawn up one of 
the best statements concerning the nature of these bodies, 
and of the grounds on which they are so greatly valued by 
scientific inquirers, that we ever remember to have read. 
‘Simple in its language and mode of treatment of the 
subject, this little guide is replete with the most valuable 
information—information which the student of the collec- 
«tion might ransack a library in vain to find. 
Still more interesting is Dr. Woodward’s venture in 
the same direction—an illustrated guide for the depart- 
ment of Geology and Palzontology. The woodcut illus- 
trations of this work are in part original, and in part 
borrowed from various scientific manuals, the publishers 
of which have generously granted the use of them to the 
Museum authorities. By the aid of these woodcuts Dr. 
Woodward is able to call attention to the chief facts con- 
cerning the structure of some of the most remarkable fossils 
an the collection, and the guide forms an excellent intro- 
duction to the study of palzontology. At present the only 
part of this guide which is illustrated by woodcuts is that 
which deals with the fossil vertebrates, for these only are 
as yet fully arranged; but in subsequent editions, no 
doubt, Dr. Woodward will give equal attention to the 
description of the most important forms, among the 
invertebrates. The design is an excellent one, and there 
is every promise in the present instalment of the work of 
its being admirably carried out. Such work cannot fail 
to be the means of diffusing in the widest possible manner 
accurate notions on the subject of natural history among 
the people. We hope that its circulation may be as 
large as that of Prof. Oliver’s admirably illustrated guide 
to Kew Gardens, which we are glad to see has passed | 
through twenty-nine editions. 
While on the subject of the means adopted by the 
Museum authorities to make the collections a means of 
diffusing correct ideas among the people, we cannot 
avoid referring to Prof. Owen’s design of surrounding the 
-great central hall of the building with an “ Index 
Museum.”’ 
execution will, we fear, be attended with serious diffi- 
culties. Prof. Owen proposes to devote the first of the 
six recesses on the western side of the central hall to the 
illustration of man, the two next to the other mammalia, 
the fourth to birds, the fifth to reptiles, and the sixth to 
fishes. On the other side three recesses are to be devoted 
to the invertebrata, and one each to botany, mineralogy, 
and geology. Few naturalists will agree with Prof. Owen 
that the points which distinguish man from the rest of 
the animal kingdom, are to the zoologist, of such import- 
ance as to necessitate the setting apart of a division of the 
Index Museum for their illustration ; andthe limited por- 
tion of the available space assigned to botany and 
geology will occasion much surprise. As_ structural 
alterations have interfered with the use of two of these 
recesses, and the lighting of some of them is far from 
being satisfactory, the project may perhaps have to be 
greatly modified. One of the recesses, that devoted to 
the birds, has been already arranged with instructive 
diagrams and well-selected specimens, and a penny guide 
The idea is most praiseworthy, but its | 
| tively. 
to it, written by Prof. Owen in his well-known clear and 
attractive style, has been published. If the design is 
carried further, we hope the greatest care will be taken to 
make the classification and arrangement adopted in the 
Index Museum harmonise with that employed in the 
several galleries, for otherwise such a museum will not 
serve as an index to the great collection, but will 
be a source of confusion rather than of assistance to 
students. 
Of the zoological collections we can say little at pre- 
sent. The birds will occupy the ground floor of the 
western wing of the building, and the mammals the floor 
above. The osteological collections belonging to these 
two departments are already arranged in the upper floor, 
and form a new and most valuable feature of the 
Museum. The articulated skeletons are exhibited on 
the floor and in glass cases, behind which cupboards are 
constructed for the reception of unarticulated skeletons. 
The Pavilion contains a special series of bones, which are 
reserved for purposes of study. The skeletons of whales 
are to be housed in the basement of the building. 
Generally we find that the convenience of the public has 
been fully consulted in the arrangements of the building. 
The lavatories and cloak-rooms are all that can be 
desired, but we suspect that much disappointment will be 
felt with regard to the refreshment department as at 
present constituted. Small and inconvenient counters 
are being erected on the highest story of the building, 
outside the Botanical and Osteological Galleries respec- 
The obstacle thus created to the ingress and 
egress of visitors to those departments, and the fact that 
mice will infallibly be brought to them, is enough to 
ensure condemnation of sucha plan. We hope that the 
trustees may yet reconsider the question, and find them- 
selves able to devote to the purpose of refreshment, a 
room in the building which is centrally situated, and at 
the same time entirely cut off from the collections. 
THE COMET 
\ X ] E take the following from the Sydney Morning Herald 
of September 19 :— 
Mr. H. C. Russell, Government Astronomer, sends us 
the following inte1esting particulars respecting the comet, 
| under yesterday’s date :— 
The comet discovered on the 7th has developed in 
brilliance rapidly. When I first saw it on the 8th, the 
nucleus was equal to a bright star of the second magni- 
tude; by the 11th it was brighter than a first magnitude 
star, and I was able to seeit for eight minutes after sunrise 
on that day. Subsequently, the mornings were cloudy, 
and I could not see the comet either then or during the 
daylight, probably because of the sea haze, which is more 
or less part of the N.E. wind. The comet has, however, 
increased in brilliance so rapidly that Mr. Ellery was able 
to see the comet at noon, and telegraphed to me to that 
effect, and the air being clear it was found at once. I had 
not anticipated such a wonderful increase in its light, for 
now it is easily seen in the full glare of the sunshine, like 
a star of the first magnitude, even when viewed without a 
telescope, and it must be many times more brilliant than 
Venus when at maximum. In the large telescope the 
nucleus appears round and well defined, and measured 
three seconds in diameter ; from it, extended on each 
side, the first branches of the coma, like two little cherub 
wings, and in front, the great body of the coma, forming 
a brilliant and symmetrical head, and thence turning to 
form the tail six minutes long. Under close scrutiny it 
was evident that the coma had one or more dark bands, 
curved like the outline, which made the form very inte- 
resting, but the glare of the sunlight made it very trying 
to the eyes. It is a splendid object, and it is to be re- 
gretted that no stars can be seen by means of which to fix 
