Nov. 6, 1873 I 



NA TURE 



bearing, rendered his society wonderfully delightful. As 

 a physician, he was possessed of high skill. 



Of Sir Henry's contributions to hterature, his " Medical 

 Notes and Reflections" (1839) and his "Chapters on 

 Mental Physiology " (1852) are well known to the medical 

 profession. He contributed a considerable number of 

 articles to the Edinburgh, and other reviews, which, in 

 1862, were published as " Scientific Essays." In 1815, he 

 published his celebrated " Travels in the Ionian Isles and 

 Greece," of which a second edition appeared in 18 19 ; a 

 work abounding in classical, antiquarian, and statistical 

 information, interspersed with interesting details respect- 

 ing manners and customs, scenery and natural history. 

 In iSi6 he contributed to the " Philosophical Transac- 

 tions " a memoir on the manufacture of sulphate of mag- 

 nesia at Monte della Guardia, near Genoa, and afterwards 

 papers to various other scientific journals. Last year he 

 published his well-known " Recollections of Past Life," a 

 volume which must long keep Sir Henry Holland's name 

 alive. His memory will be cherished by all who knew 

 him as something ever pleasant to recall. 



The Royal Institution has thus, within a year, lost 

 its Secretary and its President, not to mention the 

 resignation of its Professor of Chemistry, who has not 

 yet been replaced. V/hoever is elected to fill the Presi- 

 dential office will, we doubt not, keep up the traditions of 

 the place, and do what in him lies to carry out the original 

 design of the founders and donors of the Institution, never 

 losing sight of the fact that above everything it is meant 

 to be one of the few temples of original scientific research 

 in the country. Its laboratories have recently been 

 rebuilt, and we hope they will ever continue to be 

 taken ample advantage of for purposes of study and 

 research, not only by the earnest successors of the great 

 men who have rendered them famous, but also by 

 competent members, for whom they were originally equally 

 intended by the enlightened and science-loving men 

 to whom the conception of the Institution was originally 

 due. 



We conclude this notice by giving a few of the dates, in 

 addition to those already given, which mark Sir Henry Hol- 

 land's career. He was born at Knutsford, Cheshire, Oct. 27, 

 1787, and was educated at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and at the 

 school of Dr. Estlin, near Bristol, where he became head 

 boy. In i8o| and 1805 ho attended GLisgow University, 

 and in 1806 he entered the Medical School at Edinburgh, 

 where he became acquainted with many of the notable 

 men that then frequented " the grey metropolis of the 

 north" — Sir Walter Scott, Brougham, Sydney Smith, 

 Horner, Jeffery, Dugald Stewart, Sir William Hamilton. 

 In 1 816, after spending some time in travel, he established 

 himself in London, and at once achieved high profes- 

 sional success. He became Physician in Ordinary to 

 the late Prince Consort in 1840, and to the Queen in 

 1852 ; and next year was created baronet. Sir Henry 

 was twice married, his second wife, who died in 1866, 

 having been the daughter of his old friend Sydney Smith. 



THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL 

 HISTORY IN CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK* 



T^OR many years a large number of the generous and 

 -•• pubhc-spirited citizens of New York had long felt 

 the need of a museum and library of natural history that 

 should be on a scale commensurate with the wealth and 

 importance of their metropolitan city, and would encourage 

 and develop the study of natural history, advance the general 

 knowledge of kindred subjects, and to this end furnish 

 popular amusement and instruction. In 1S6S a remark- 

 able opportunity presented itself of securing a rare col- 

 lection that would form an admirable nucleus for such a 



* A Paper read by Albert L. Bickmore, Ph. D., Superintendent, at the 

 Meeting of the American Association. 



comprehensive museum. The most extensive dealer in 

 specimens in the world, Edouard Verreaux, of Paris, 

 suddenly died, leaving in the hands of his widow a collec- 

 tion, which, at the rates he was accustomed to sell speci- 

 mens, would have brought over 500,000 francs, 100,000 

 dels, in gold .... Dying suddenly, he left the rich 

 gatherings of an industrious lifetime seriously embarrassed 

 with debt. This opportunity it was decided to try to 

 improve, and a subscription of nearly 50,000 dols. was at 

 once made up as a beginning, and since that time about 

 100,000 dols. have been contributed in money, though the 

 present property of the institution, including the large 

 donations of specimens which have been steadily coming 

 in, could not be replaced, nor could other as interesting 

 and valuable specimens for less than 250,000. A rare and 

 nearly complete collection: of American birds, and many 

 fine birds of paradise and pheasants were first purchased 

 by Mr. D. G. Elliott. While negotiations were about to 

 be opened for the Verreaux collection, a second museum 

 unexpectedly became available. Prince Maximilian of 

 Neuwied on the Rhine above Bonn (not the Emperor 

 Maximilian of Austria and Mexico) died, and the young 

 son inheriting the estate had no scientific taste, and 

 offered the results of his father's life-work for sale. The 

 elder Prince, who formed the collection, passed 1815, 

 1 816, and 18 17 exploring Brazil from Rio up to Bahia, 

 and of course a large proportion of the great collections 

 he secured had never at that early date been seen by 

 scientific men in Europe before, and were therefore types 

 of new species. 



This collection the American Museum purchased 

 entire. An agreement was soon after made with Mme. 

 Verreaux by which all the choice specimens in her cabinet 

 not contained in the Elliott and Maximilian purchases 

 were selected for the museum, and all these specimens 

 have been safely received from Europe, and are now on 

 public exhibition in Central Park. Large donations of 

 shells, corals, and minerals have been received, and one 

 collection of 20,000 insects. The liberal subscriptions 

 first made induced the principal subscribers to consent to 

 act as trustees for the fund and property acquired by it, 

 and by a special Act of the Legislature they were created 

 a body corporate — they and their successors to have 

 entire and unrestricted control for ever over all the 

 museum property. They have limited their number to 

 twenty-five, and the survivors fill every vacancy, thus 

 securing a fixed policy and stable character to the institu- 

 tion. An arrangement has been made between the 

 trustees and the Department of Public Parks in New 

 York by which the city may furnish lands and buildings, 

 while the collections are to be bought and cared for by 

 moneys contributed by the trustees themselves and the 

 generous public. In pursuance of this plan, by which 

 the authorities of the city and private citizens might co- 

 operate toward the common end of establishing a large 

 museum, 500,000 dols. were appropriated by the city to 

 commence a suitable thoroughly fire-proof edifice, and 

 the Department of Parks was authorised to set apart so 

 much of the public lands under their control as they 

 might deem proper and necessary for the proposed struc- 

 ture and its future extensions. 



The great object of the museum is twofold. First, to 

 interest and instruct the masses which already throng its 

 halls, and occasionally number over 10,000 in a single 

 day ; and, secondly, and especially to render all the 

 assistance possible to specialists. These wants are shown 

 to be amply met by the large, palatial saloons for the 

 public, and over the whole building a high Mansard story, 

 containing spacious and well-hghted rooms with every 

 modern convenience, where naturalists from every part of 

 thecountry may pursue theirfavourite studies forany length 

 of time, and be secure from all possible interruptions. The 

 building will undoubtedly be ready for occupation in the 

 spring of 1875. 



