Notes and Comments. 371 



proved by the various monographs it has issued deahng with 

 "■" botany, zoology, and other natural sciences" ; by its monthlv 

 magazine The Naturalist (one of few Scientific journals which 

 have survived the rigours of the past few years) and by the 

 successful work at its meetings, excursions, and bv tlie work 

 of its different committees.' 



THE LEEDS UNIVERSITY. 



' The Leeds University itself has recognised the value of the 

 Yorkshire Naturalists' Union's work by conferring honorary 

 degrees upon some of its members, on which occasion it was 

 distinctly stated that the University recognised and appreciated 

 what the Union was doing. At the present time Prof. Garstang 

 is the President, and is giving his address at the Leeds Univer- 

 sity on Dec. 7th. Among the long list of prominent scientific 

 men who have been Presidents in previous years are a number 

 of Professors and others intimately associated with the work of 

 this University. From the particulars issued it seems likely 

 that the new society is going to interfere with the work of the 

 old, and in these times when so many of our younger men are 

 undertaking more important duties, and those left behind are 

 carr3dng on with increasing difficulties, it is unfortunate an 

 attempt is being made to form a new Society with apparently 

 similar objects. If it is clear that the Yorkshire Natural 

 Science Association does not in any way encroach upon the 

 work of the old established and vigorous Yorkshire Naturalists' 

 Union, the matter may be different, but its objects as set out 

 certainly make one question the wisdom of the meeting on 

 Saturday.' 



THE :\IUSEU>I IDEA. 



In The Memoirs and Proceedings of the Manchester Literary 

 and Philosophical Society, Vol. LXIL, part i, Prof. W. Boyd 

 Dawkins has an interesting paper on ' The Organisation of 

 Museums and Art Galleries in Manchester.' In this he states, 

 ' We owe the first idea of a Museum of Science and Art in Britain 

 to Lord Bacon (New Atlantis) and the first realisation so far as 

 relates to science to Elias Ashmole, who founded, in 1667, 

 the Institution at Oxford bearing his name. This consisted 

 mainly of natural history specimens, mingled with miscellaneous 

 antiquities, now re-organised by Sir Arthur Evans, and trans- 

 ferred to new quarters close to the Taylor buildings, it has 

 grown into the most perfect classical museum in Britain. It 

 was not until 1747 that the British Museum, which had grow^i 

 round the centre offered by the Library, was recognised by Act 

 of Parliament. The modern Museum, arranged for scientific 

 purposes, cannot be traced further back than the middle of 

 the igth century, and is the outcome of the scientific renascence 

 associated with the names of Darwin, Huxley, Flower and 



1918 Dec. 1. 



