THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. I05 



new specimens came in — for it would be a long time before the 

 natural history even of this limited region was exhausted in all its 

 aspect would make that collection one of deep interest to all the 

 intelligent dwellers in the district, and a model to be followed m 

 other local museums. 



Natural history in its various branches is now becoming a sub- 

 ject of general education. There is a large class of persons who 

 would in all probability, year by year, as time went on, bear a greater 

 proportion to the general population of the country, who, without 

 having the time, the opportunity, or the ability to make a profound 

 study of any one branch of science, yet took a general interest in its 

 progress, and wished to possess some knowledge of the world around 

 them, and with the principal facts ascertained with regard to it in 

 at least some portions of it. For such persons, our museum, if ar- 

 ranged as I have indicated, and well organized, would be a benefit 

 to a degree that could scarcely be realized at present. 



Of course, while I consider that our first, and in some respects 

 our most important, aim should be to make this local collection, I 

 admit, from an educational point of view, it would be quite inade- 

 quate to give a general and consistent idea of the richness and va- 

 riety of the natural productions of the world in which we live, and 

 for that purpose, in a city like Hamilton, with its high educational 

 status, its Collegiate Institute and Normal College in prospect, we 

 should have another collection, requiring another room, the con- 

 tents of which must be gathered from every available source. It is 

 upon this part of a museum that the skill, the knowledge, the judg- 

 ment and the capacity of the museum curator would be exercised to 

 the utmost. 



Instead of, as in the former series, we would welcome every ad- 

 dition, if originating within the prescribed limits, it would be one of 

 his principal duties sternly to refuse everything that did not dis- 

 tinctly claim a definite place in the system adopted. It would be 

 necessary in this division of the museum to determine on a general 

 plan for the series — nothing being admitted that did not fall in with 

 it, and this plan should be rigidly kept to. 



The number of specimens must be strictly limited according to 

 the nature of the subject to be illustrated and the space available. 

 None must be placed too high or too low for ready examination. 



