18 NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE REGENTS, 



which, for brevity, I have omitted. I will only add, that I believe the 

 founding of such an institution in America would render the names of the 

 Board of Regents immortal. 



I have the honor to be, 



Very respectfully. 



Your obedient servant, " 



A. WINCHELL, 

 Prof, Geol., Zool. and Bot., University of Michigan. 

 Ann Arboi^, 10th July, 1865. 



Hamilton College, ) 

 Clinton, N. Y, August,lS6b. \ 



To the Committee of the Regents on the 



State Cabinet of Natural History : 



Gentlemen — In response to the circular of June, issued in your, behalf, 

 I would respectfully present the following : 



In the suggestions I shall make, I assume that it is the desire of the 

 Regents of the University to do whatever is needed to make the State cap- 

 ital the center of science as well as of legislation, and to render the State 

 collections complete as collections and unrivaled as a means of scientific 

 instruction, and this at whatever expense. 



In the consideration of the topic first presented, I take the following as 

 postulates : ^ . 



1. The cabine1i|should be in a position to be valuable for instruction as 

 well as display. To this end the collections must be scientifically arranged 

 and labeled. 



2. The collections of the different departments should each* be developed 

 to the greatest perfection, and therefore should be treated. in some degree 

 independently, though with reference to the other departments. • 



Each department should be brought down to the present state of the 

 science, and then of necessity each would mate the others and be but a 

 part of the whole. 



3. To make this arrangement and development valuable for the present, 

 and still more as a basis for future work, they should be scientific and 

 thorough, oA some well digested system which could be continued for suc- 

 ceeding years. 



4. ScientiJ^c men in. the different departments of natural history are the 

 only men to form and execute the plans for such ends, and these men should 

 be teachers of the sciences rather than amateurs, in order that they may 

 make their ivork useful for learners as well as attractive for admirers. 



5. The best plans can be devised only after a thorough examination of 

 the material on hand, the means to be used, and the systems adopted by 

 other large museums. 



