7116 Local Museums. 



delicate question, as the numberless little cliques and parties into 

 which naturalists are unfortunately split up would doubtless stand in 

 the way of a connected organization. Almost every branch of Natural 

 History has a central Society in London, and it appears to me that if 

 they would each undertake the supervision of their several subjects in 

 our county museums that the appointment of the " Commissioners " I 

 propose could not be in better hands. The Linnean, Geological, 

 Entomological and Antiquarian Societies, and the Society of Arts, 

 might unite for this object. 



Government superintendence appears to me another practicable 

 method for the accomplishment of the desired object. The subject 

 would not be popularly considered of the same importance as Schools 

 of Art, but as it is to a certain extent related to Education, might be 

 brought within the scope of Government interference. Supposing the 

 local funds now spent on our county museums were kept available, a 

 very trifling extra public expenditure might be the means of placing 

 our local museums on a much better footing than that which they at 

 present occupy. If, as in the case of our national schools, public 

 grants were made to the museums conditionally on their submission to 

 the supervision of the " Inspectors " or " Commissioners," 1 believe 

 nearly all of them would be placed within the range of the proposed 

 organization. 



Another source of weakness to our county museums is the tendency 

 towards the formation of private collections. Excepting where these 

 are formed for a definite object, as accessories to the study of a given 

 subject (and how often are they made without aim or intention), the 

 expense to private people of bringing together Natural History speci- 

 mens is, to say the best of it, much wasted, and the sources of supply 

 of specimens for public museums exhausted. To counteract this I 

 would propose that our public museums should be organized so as to 

 be the custodians of specimens belonging to private people in addition 

 to possessing specimens, by which means I think a vast number of 

 objects would be brought within the range of a useful organization 

 which would otherwise lie as useless disjecta membra in private 

 cabinets. 



I make these iew suggestions in the hope that some one will take up 

 the question in a more definite form and detail. At present 1 fear it 

 must be admitted that our county town museums, with some few 

 exceptions, are melancholy specimens of neglect and want of organ- 

 ization, and should, 1 think, enlist the careful consideration of all who 



