34 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 6T9 



mals are shown as nearly as possible with their 

 exact surroundings. This often results in 

 subordinating the animal to its accessories. 

 Another plan is to either select such animals 

 as are particularly interesting in themselves, 

 or more or less remarkable in habits, or, when 

 commoner animals are shown, to make the 

 surroundings more or less subordinate, to 

 suggest nature rather than imitate it. In the 

 one case the result is a beautiful picture in 

 which the animals are a small part. In the 

 other emphasis is laid on the animal itself. 

 Both methods have their uses and the museum 

 that can will do well to employ both in its 

 exhibition series. 



It is sad to note that the first report of the 

 Field Museum of Natural History should be 

 the one to record the death of its founder, 

 Marshall Field, whose portrait forms the 

 frontispiece of the volume. By his liberality 

 this museum came into existence full-fledged 

 and started with greater collections than have 

 fallen to the lot of any other new museum. 



The plans for the new museum building, 

 which had been in preparation for some time, 

 called for the expenditure of more than the 

 four millions left by Mr. Field for that pur- 

 pose, and the plans have accordingly been 

 revised. As soon as the legal obstacles that 

 have for some time stood in the way have been 

 removed, the work of construction will be 

 commenced. This museum is well to the 

 fore in anthropology and is making rapid 

 strides in botany and the principal accessions 

 of the year have been in these departments. 

 In spite of the probable removal of the mu- 

 seum, the work of installation has proceeded 

 steadily. 



A part, of the report of the Carnegie Mu- 

 seum is couched in apologetic language, and 

 expresses the dissatisfaction of the director 

 at seeing the doors thrown open to the public 

 before the museum was in proper condition 

 to receive them. As the director says: 



What has been accomplished only represents 

 the partial fulfilment of his ideals, and it un- 

 doubtedly will be several years before the museum 

 will begin to assume proper shape and the various 

 collections which it is destined to contain will 



have been brought into thoroughly systematic 

 order. 



But we fear if museum directors waited 

 until they were prepared for the public, the 

 doors of the museums would never be opened, 

 and in answer to Dr. Holland we quote as 

 follows from the report of the Brooklyn Insti- 

 tute Museum: 



The outlook at times too may seem most dis- 

 couraging, there are so many things planned and 

 so few completed. Work of all kinds remains 

 unfinished, important specimens are needed in all 

 departments, labels are lacking, cases disarranged 

 and many things conspire to render the lot of an 

 energetic curator an unhappy one. Moreover, a 

 museum is generally the resultant of many forces 

 and consequently a compromise of what the di- 

 rector would like to have it and what he is com- 

 pelled to do. 



Finally, no apologies are necessary from 

 Dr. Holland, but congratulations for what has 

 been accomplished. For in spite of the ob- 

 stacles which may have interfered with its 

 activities, but have not stopped its growth, 

 work has steadily gone on, especially in the 

 section of paleontology, which has become so 

 important and striking a feature of this in- 

 stitution; and valuable material has been col- 

 lected from the Fort Benton Cretaceous, and 

 the mounting of the great Diplodoeus skeleton 

 completed. This institution also ranks high 

 in the number and character of its publica- 

 tions, the most important for the year being 

 a memoir on the crayfishes of Pennsylvania, 

 which is a good example of work that may be 

 done near home. 



The Museum of the Brookl3m Institute is 

 the most recent of any under consideration, 

 having been opened in June, 1897. It differs 

 from the others in being a museum of art as 

 well as of science, thus differing from most 

 other institutions in the United States, for 

 while the Carnegie Institute includes museums 

 of art and science, these have each their own 

 director, their common bond being through 

 the board of trustees. It differs also in dis- 

 tinctly providing for children and teachers by 

 its Children's Museum, whose exhibits and 

 lectures are directly planned to interest the 

 one and aid the other. Various institutions. 



