144 The Origin and Development of Museums. [March, 
advisable to put the results of their investigations into a shape 
which could. be understood by people not scientifically trained. 
The pride of the century, Alexander von Humboldt, led the 
long series of such publications, and the interest of the public, 
once awakened, exceeded all expectations, so that in later times 
the so-called popular literature of natural history equaled or even 
superseded. the scientific publications. Of course every museum 
deemed it a duty to keep pace with this interest, and opened its 
doors to the public. At first, things went on to the satisfac- 
tion of both parties ; but by and by a natural change took place, 
The aim to exhibit the collections in a way pleasing and satis- 
factory to the public taste necessitated work often beyond the 
power of the officers, and to the scientific detriment of the collec- 
tions. The buildings proved to be mostly too small, or at least 
not fit to exhibit the objects in a suitable way, and in the new 
ones the principal claim on the architect was often to satisfy the 
taste of the public by giving a beautiful view of the specimens, 
the interests of science being secondary. An imposing hall, with 
splendid galleries, staircases, and large, high rooms, was the basis 
of a plan for a museum. The specimens themselves were to be 
arranged more or less artistically : birds and butterflies first, fishes 
and crabs being condemned to the corners. 
The three principal conditions of a building intended for a 
museum, convenient rooms, light, and the exhibition of the ob- 
jects, had to be balanced in another way ; the exhibition, as well 
as the light, took the heaviest share; and the latter being the 
greatest and most injurious enemy to the preservation of objects 
of natural history, the disadvantage for science increased in such 
museums beyond all measure. The necessity of securing speci 
mens against injury augmented the expenses considerably, espe- 
cially when all objects should be exhibited. Nevertheless the 
aim of public instruction could not often be attained in a way t0 
match the exertions. The larger the collection, the smaller its 
value for the instruction of the public. The reason is obvious- 
Anybody obliged to pass about a quarter of a mile before cases 
with only water-fowls or sparrows, or to look at twenty thousand 
species of beetles of the same family, becomes bewildered and 
loses the connection between the different forms, the very thing 
for which he wished to see the museum. 
Such large collections, which would be the pride and the aim 
of the scientific naturalist, are like a complete dictionary to the 
linguist ; but nobody, I believe, will undertake to read a dictionary 
