578 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. III. No. 



since it is their province to illustrate the 

 detail of their natural surroundings. 



A Synoptic Collection should show the an- 

 atomy, embryology, terminology and evo- 

 lution of every class, together with all the 

 generic steps through which each family 

 has gone in past ages. The first two divis- 

 ions of the synoptic collection may be il- 

 lustrated by models and drawings, the ter- 

 minology by specimens and drawings, col- 

 ored after the plan so successfully initiated 

 by Bather for the crinoids and Lucas for 

 the vertebrate skull. The genera should 

 be illustrated by typical material of the 

 species on which the genus is based, either 

 by specimens or by figures, or by both, 

 while the labels should give fully the geo- 

 logic and geographic distribution. 



To install the material illustrating the 

 anatomy, embryology and terminology of a 

 class is not difi&cult, but it is somewhat hard 

 to determine how the generic material shall 

 be shown so as to illustrate the devious 

 paths through which a given class has passed 

 — in order to set forth the course of its evo- 

 lution. This may be accomplished by 

 grouping the generic tablets of each family 

 in one or more vertical columns. At the 

 base of each is the label giving the name 

 and a short definition of the family charac- 

 ters. The families should be grouped into 

 superfamilies, orders, superorders, and the 

 characters upon which these divisions are 

 based should be clearly set forth on the ac- 

 companying descriptive labels. A definition 

 of the class and the known phylogeny should 

 also be displayed in each exhibition case. 

 Plants and vertebrates in the synoptic series, 

 because of their generally large size, must 

 for the most part be illustrated by mounted 

 pictures. 



A recent species of all genera having fos- 

 sil representation should be introduced into 

 these collections, and on each tablet should 

 be given the present specific representation 

 and geographic distribution of the genus. 



In the synoptic collections, more than 

 anywhere else, is the need of technical terms 

 necessary for a clear definition of the va- 

 rious divisions illustrated. It is for this 

 reason that each class of organisms in this 

 exhibition series should be accompanied by 

 specimens or drawings colored to attract at- 

 tention to the part to which the term is ap- 

 plied. 



The synoptic collections need not be lim- 

 ited to the illustration of the generic evo- 

 lution of the classes, but may be advanta- 

 geously extended to illustrate the evolution 

 of certain specially interesting famihes, 

 genera, or even species. What series could 

 be more interesting than one illustrating 

 the evolution of the horse or one showing 

 the enormous time dispersal of Lingula 

 and Crania or Pleurotomaria or of Leptcena 

 rhomboidalis and Atrypa reticularis? 



The Study Series is not, as a rule, on ex- 

 hibition, but is stored unmounted in drawers 

 arranged in paper trays. This is the great 

 reserve collection of a museum, and from it 

 the curator derives material for the exhi- 

 bition series, while the paleontologist or bi- 

 ologist depends upon it for purposes of study. 

 This collection contains no duplicate ma- 

 terial for distribution or exchange and must 

 be kept intact. The study collections, since 

 they have no uses other than those just 

 mentioned, should therefore be arranged 

 stratigraphically, this seemingly being the 

 only available method for the administra- 

 tion of so vast an assemblage of fossils. The 

 specimens of each class should, of course, be 

 kept together within each geological group, 

 and this is true also of the floras and faunas 

 of each province. The above treatment of 

 the study collection does not perhaps ac- 

 cord with a strictly biological view, but the 

 needs of the biologist can be provided for 

 by complete card catalogues of all the fossils 

 in the museum. 



The Catalogue is the most important 

 agency in the possession of the curator, 



