924 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 650 



hibits, but also by the comprehensiveness 

 of subjects presented. "Wherever this is 

 true, it must be recognized that it is impos- 

 sible to hold the attention of the people by 

 the whole mass of exhibits, but that for 

 every visitor the bulk of the material must 

 merely give the background from which 

 some subject that happens to strike his 

 fancy will stand out in bold relief. 



I think the experience of all large mu- 

 seums shows that this point of view, so far 

 as the general public is concerned, is the 

 correct one. When, for instance, the in- 

 stallation of a new immense mounted skele- 

 ton of some extinct animal is announced, 

 people will flock in crowds to the museum 

 to see the specimen, and the receptiveness 

 of their minds is increased by the whole 

 mass of material from which the new im- 

 pressive specimen is set off, and by the 

 striking difference of the atmosphere in the 

 museum as compared with the ordinary 

 everyday routine. The same is true when a 

 large, beautiful group of birds is exhibited. 

 The impression, however, is quite different 

 if the museum should contain a great many 

 mounted skeletons of immense size, or a 

 great many groups of birds of similar char- 

 acter. The visitors wiU pass from one to 

 another, but the amount of impressiveness 

 of each will be correspondingly decreased. 



Considering this point of view, I think 

 no word has ever been said that is less true 

 than Dr. Brown Goode's oft-repeated state- 

 ment that a museum is a well-arranged 

 collection of labels illustrated by specimens. 

 On the contrary, the attraction for the 

 public is the striking specimen; and what- 

 ever additional information either the label 

 or the surrounding specimens may be able 

 to convey to the mind of the visitor is the 

 only result that can be hoped for. 



I believe experienced museum adminis- 

 trators will agree with me in thinking that 

 among the museums having the best attend- 

 ance, so far as it is not artificially increased 



by including the attendance of lectures 

 among the museum visitors, this class of 

 visitors amounts easily to ninety per cent, 

 or more of the total number. This is true 

 particularly of the United States National 

 Museum, which is simply taken in as one 

 of the sights of the national capital, and it 

 is also true of the Saturday and Sunday 

 attendance of a museum like the American 

 Museum of Natural History in this city. 



I am inclined to think that the museum 

 can do a great deal towards public educa- 

 tion by a judicious treatment of this aspect 

 of its work; but it requires the highest 

 talent to select and set off a striking object 

 which brings home an important idea 

 against the indifferent background so as 

 to obtain the best results. 



From the remarks that have been made, 

 it will be seen that in a large museum op- 

 portunity is given to select objects in such 

 a way that a great variety of important 

 points of view are brought out by special 

 exhibits. 



An attempt of this kind has been made, 

 in the large entrance-hall, a number of very 

 excellent exhibits are arranged, partly of a 

 systematic character, partly intended to 

 bring out certain special biological points. 

 I believe the feeling that is conveyed here 

 upon the visitor is a very favorable one, in 

 so far as the assemblage of this material in 

 the entrance has for its background the 

 expectancy created by the mass of material 

 to be found when the visitor moves from 

 this hall into the galleries of the building. 

 On the other hand, it may be said that still 

 better results might be had if these halls 

 themselves were to contain here and there 

 equally striking exhibits. 



I believe the appreciation of the needs 

 of the visitor who wants to be entertained 

 has led most museums to lay much stress 

 upon the preparation of groups in which 

 certain objects are brought together, and 

 which are generally intended to illustrate 



