THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 231.— March, 1896. 



THE NORWICH MUSEUM. 

 By J. H. Gurney, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



With the sanction of the Museum Committee, Messrs. Jarrold 

 and Sons have just published an Official Handbook of nearly two 

 hundred pages, with illustrations, as a Guide to the Norwich 

 Castle Museum. The greater portion of it has been written by- 

 Mr. Thomas Southwell, than whom no one could have been found 

 better qualified for the task. 



The History of the Museum. — The originator and first Presi- 

 dent of the Norwich Museum was Sir J. E. Smith, the friend of 

 Linnaeus, and founder of the Linnean Society ; and great indeed 

 would be the surprise of that distinguished man if he could 

 now arise and see the present state of the collections in their 

 new home. 



The Museum in its present form is the outcome of Sir James 

 Smith's zeal* for a cause, and Mr. Southwell's book forms an 

 admirable Guide to it. This will serve me as a peg for a few 

 general remarks, which I hope may induce some of your readers 

 to come and view our famous Norfolk Fossils and rare collection 

 of Birds of Prey. 



The present Museum, which is vastly more commodious than 

 the old one in St. Andrew's Street, was completed and opened to 

 the public on Oct. 26th, 1895. It consists of an ancient Norman 

 keep, called " The Castle," and six spacious modern buildings, 



* Associated with Smith, however, were several other distinguished men. 



ZOOLOGIST, THIBD SERIES, VOL. XX. MARCH, 1896, H. 



