482 
NATURE 
[April 20, 1871 

SUB-ORDER—Khopalocera, Horns clubbed at the apex. 
FAMILy—Papilionide, Middle nerve of fore-wing four- 
branched.” 
The next sub-division appears on the tablet as the 
distinctive title of the 198th group. 
“ GENUS—Ornithopiera and allies, Bird-winged butter- 
flies. About twenty. species known.” 
(2) The further portion of the drawer, to the extent of 
three-fifths (more or less) of the whole area, accommodates 
from ten to sixty exotic species ; such as are most distinct 
being preferred. A reference to the authority accompanies 
many of the generic, sub-generic, and specific names. 
The locality, when copied from a monograph, is stated 
simply ; but when it is known where the specimen has 
been collected, the word “from” is added—e.g. “from 
Madagascar.” 
(3) The nearer right-hand corner of the drawer is 
occupied by representatives of the group indigenous to 
Britain. Some groups have no British representatives ; 
in others—e.g. Noctue genuine, a selection from the 
British species fills three-fourths of the drawer. Amongst 
these, foreign specimens of rarities are admitted, but in 
all such cases the words “ exotic specimen” are appended 
to the name on the label. 
(4) The nearer left-hand corner is assigned to a few 
fossils showing the earliest appearance of the group in the 
Geological record. In one or two instances, e.g. Hippu- 
rites, the entire group is fossil, in others, of course, fossils 
are absent. 
(5) Between these two latter sections of the drawer is 
placed the printed tablet, about the size of an octavo page. 
It exhibits an attempt to describe some of the salient 
points in the life-history of the group. Here, and through- 
out the series, some attention has been given to ensure 
legibility ; names and descriptions being of much less 
value when they cannot be read easily. 
(6) The upright portion of the table case over each 
drawer is given to miscellaneous illustrations of the group, 
The series includes drawings and photographs of structure 
and anatomy, economic products, silk in various stages, 
marine and freshwater pearls, cameos, from the rough 
medallion cut from the shell to the finished work, polished 
shells, and sections showing the interior of shells, 
eggs, preserved larvee and pupe, preparations in spirits, 
examples of mimicry, nests of Hymenoptera, galls and 
their tenants, timber and stone pierced by molluscs, 
crustacea and insects, distorted growths, healed fractures, 
coral beads, British and exotic specimens of fungi growing 
on pupz, and many other objects of interest. 
(7) The blocks on which some of the table cases rest 
are fitted with drawers suitable for receiving an extended 
series of species and varieties, valuable only to the student, 
and intended to be seen only on application to the Curator. 
Very little progress has been made in carrying out this 
portion of the plan, which has, however, the good effect 
of rendering it quite needless to overcrowd the groups 
with insignificant species. 
The difficulties attending the formation of the series of 
specimens have not been very great. Collections have 
-been presented to the Museum by several friends of natu- 
ral science, amongst whom may be mentioned Mr, 
Samuel Smith, of Liverpool, the donor of a collection of 
shells rich in generic forms and in costly rarities of the 

highest beauty. Mr. Moore has been successful in estab- 
lishing friendly communications with many captains of 
merchant vessels sailing from the port of Liverpool, some 
of whom have been supplied by the committee with 
dredges and collecting apparatus, and have become enthu- 
siastic naturalists. In recognition of their services several 
of them have been received as Associate Members of the 
Literary and Philosophical Society of Liverpool, a distinc- 
tion which seems to be highly appreciated by them. 
Something has also been done in the way of exchanges ; 
but a large proportion of the whole series has been pur- 
chased specimen by specimen. No object has been 
purchased simply on account of its rarity, but at the same 
time no reasonable expense has been spared in procuring 
the most beautiful and perfect examples. 
A few general remarks on the subject of expense may be 
permitted : details will gladly be communicated to inquirers 
connected with museums. Few collections exhibited to 
the public will bear comparison with corresponding series 
contained in private cabinets. Why should this any 
longer be permitted? It may arise, 77 Zart, from the im- 
pression that in public museums it is unnecessary to spend 
much on specimens. There can be no excuse for extrava- 
gance, but economy may be pushed too far. The trouble 
and great risk of collecting in tropical climates must often 
be very inadequately represented by the apparently high 
prices asked for the chief desiderata, and the rest of a col- 
lector’s stock may remain on his hands foryears. Again, if 
a genus or a group is illustrated in nature by a great variety 
of beautiful forms, this surely is a biological fact which 
may claim, on scientific grounds, to be fairly and appro- 
priately represented. Even on the most severe estimate of 
what is necessary for an educational series, something must 
be allowed simply for the sake of beauty and attractive- 
ness ; that is to say, if museums are to avoid the fate of 
certain parochial lending libraries which contain only such 
books as everybody ought to like to read. Naturalists of 
the very highest scientific standing, much more ordinary 
observers, are greatly under the influence of beauty of 
form and colour. Even Mr. Wallace himself would not 
have been so near syncope at the sight of a new Brach- 
elytron as he seems to have been on his first introduction 
to the magnificent O. Cresus. Why, moreover, should 
the public be taught to esteem art treasures as so much 
more valuable than the choicest productions of nature? 
One hears of a pair of vases being sold for 2,000/., a 
sum which would provide twenty first-rate table cases, 
and stock them with very fair illustrations of the whole of 
the invertebrate groups. It is a happy circumstance that 
a museum of common objects may, at a trifling cost, be 
established in almost any village, and with judicious 
local influence brought to bear upon it, may prove both 
useful and creditable; but why should not wealthy com- 
munities, possessing endless drawing-rooms ablaze with 
costly decorations, exercise something of a corresponding 
liberality towards the museum which is the representative 
of their appreciation of that which is higher than the 
highest art ? 
Considerable difficulty has been found in selecting ap- 
propriate materials for the printed tablets. Many of the 
chief continental authorities on the Invertebrata, admirable 
as are their works for the purpose of identifying species, 
afford scarcely a line of information on the life history of 
