788 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE.— 1915. 



I may, however, remark, by way of parenthesis, that the generous donor 

 leaves his work half done, if he bequeaths a collection without also providing 

 some means for its maintenance and development ; and he is by no means a 

 benefactor if he attaches to his gift embarrassing stipulations as to its being 

 always exhibited in cases of a particular type, and excludes the possibility of its 

 enlargement and development. 



jNIay I conclude in the words of a great teacher, applicable to local as to other 

 museums — ' The firet function of a museum is to give an example of perfect 

 order and elegance. Everything should be in its own place, everything looking 

 its best because it is there. Nothing should be crowded ; nothing unnecessary. 

 The museum is only for what is eternally right and well done. 



' The lea^t things are there and the greatest and all good. 

 ' The simple may go there to learn and the wise to remember. ' 



Dr. F. A. Bather, referring to the distinction between objects of national 

 and local interest, urged that the principle which should guide local curators in 

 their selection should be the advancement of science. This was to be con- 

 sidered, first from the standpoint of the local public, whose needs were best 

 met by objects of introductory educational value; secondly, from the standpoint 

 of the researcher, who might live in the locality or might come from the ends 

 of the world. To meet the needs of the latter, material should not be scattered 

 through hundreds of museams, but should rather be grouped in convenient 

 centres, not necessarily national. Such a researcher would naturally seek for 

 local objects, e.g., fossils, in a local museum, but he ought not to have to seek 

 for, say. New Zealand fossils through all the museums of the British Isles. If 

 a museum happened to have had presented to it such exotic objects, not utilised 

 for its own educational purposes, it should exchange them with a museum 

 (national or local) that had laid itself out to collect and preserve that special 

 class of objects. Type-specimens, above all, should be placed in museums where 

 they would be well looked after, and would be readily accessible to specialists. 

 In exchange for such unique or extraneous objects the local museum might 

 obtain series of objects more suited to the educational needs of its locality. 



Dr. Marie C. Stopes urged that one of the functions of local museums is 

 to make and preserve permanent cinematograph records of events, human or 

 natural, of importance and interest : these records should not only be preserved 

 for posterity, but also exhibited from time to time and explained to the young 

 people and others ; and also submitted the view that there maj' be a balance of 

 good in the decentralised state of collections, even of type-specimens. The 

 visiting of local museums brings a stimulus to the local and often isolated 

 inhabitants, and widens and humanises the interests of specialists. 



Dr. W. M. Tattersall (Museums Association) agreed with Dr. Hoyle as to 

 the necessity and importance of local museums, and suggested closer co-operation 

 between the museum authorities and the members of the local societies with a 

 view to the better organisation of the collecting of local specimens. The 

 museum should be the headquarters of all the local societies, and the curator 

 could, by a little organisation, make use of them to provide him with collections 

 of local specimens and at the same time increase the value of their work, at 

 present often spasmodic and aimless. He emphasised the value of local col- 

 lections as a stimulus to local workers and as an educational asset of the 

 highest utility to the people of the district in which the museum was situated. 

 While recognising the great value of circulating collections for the use of 

 schools, he was of opinion that the provision of such collections came more 

 properly within the province of the local Education Committee, or, better still, 

 should be organised by a Central Authority such as the Board of Educa- 

 tion. 



Professor Geddes called attention to the ' Survey of Greater London ' now 

 in progress, under the auspices of the Architects' AVar Committee of the Royal 

 Institute of British Architects, at their premises, 9 Conduit Street, W., under 

 the direction of Mr. H. V. Lanchester and Mr. E. F. G. Jemmett, F.R.I.B.A., 

 from the latter of whom particulars may be obtained. A similar survey is now 

 beginning for Greiiter Manchester under the direction of Professor" Patrick 

 AbercTombie, Department of City Design. University of Liverpool, and other 

 kindred surveys are also under consideration for other important centres ; and 



