L. C. C.OOLEY. 115-(86) 



object of the Local Museum is "to diffuse instruction 

 among and to offer rational amusement to the mass of 

 the people." 



Now manifestly ours ought to represent the third of 

 Dr. Gunther's classes, for the costliness of the first puts 

 it entirely beyond our reach, while the close proximity 

 of the excellent Vassar College Museum removes all need 

 of our attempting the second ; but a museum whose chief 

 object shall be popular instruction, is quite within our 

 reach, and exactly in the line of our mission, which is 

 the promotion of useful knowledge. It seems to me, 

 therefore, that our chief object from the very outset 

 should be to make our museum such, that while strictly 

 scientific, it "shall rank equal with all similar institu- 

 tions destined to spread knowledge and cultivate taste 

 among the people." 



Now the characteristics needed in such a collection 

 have been most carefully studied by some of the most 

 eminent naturalists. Mr. Wallace has said that the 

 materials and the arrangement of a collection designed 

 for public instruction should be totally different from 

 those designed for research or for the special study of 

 science. Yet local museums are in danger of being 

 made in utter disregard of this principle. 



A writer in Nature (III. 3S1) has given a graphic des- 

 cription of one such and it will be recognized as a fair 

 picture of some much nearer than those across the sea 

 of which he speaks. He says, "Here the jumble of curi- 

 osities and objects of natural history is sufficiently re- 

 markable and the want of arrangement yet more strik- 

 ing. Ancient pottery and various implements of savage 

 warfare ; pieces of the Royal George and samples of the 

 meaningless curiosities which are brought home by 

 travellers to their friends and relations, and are often 

 got rid of by the said friends and relations on the first 

 opportunity — these are present in full force. There are 

 also drawers of foreign insects unnamed, and more or less 

 damaged, some stuffed birds, a good many fossils, the 

 labels of many of which are misplaced, a small collec- 

 tion of dried plants, rapidly succumbing to the ravages 

 of insects, and various other objects. " and he adds 

 "this is as far as we can judge by experience, a fair sam- 



