20 



THE MUSEUM AS AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. 



Such is the present condition of the Museum, looked upon simply as 

 a collection of objects of Natural History, brought together not as an 

 accumulation of curiosities, but combined with reference to a compre- 

 hensive idea, and intended to stimulate original research and to give 

 the student of Nature such abundant materials as have never before 

 been provided for comparison and investigation. 



But what has it done for general education ? This is a question 

 which its founders and supporters may fairly put. It may be answered 

 that in giving to naturalists rare opportunities for study, in training the 

 few exceptional men who care to devote their whole lives to a pursuit 

 so unremunerative as that of Natural History, it is fostering general 

 culture and aiding in the great work of education. But this is a dis- 

 tant and indirect way of influencing the community ; it neither can nor 

 ought to satisfy the men who established the Museum. Natural His- 

 tory, at least as far as it relates to agricultural pursuits, ought indeed to 

 be taught in every public school. But no beginning can be made be- 

 fore teachers are prepared, and there is now too little encouragement 

 given them to engage in the study. The introduction of text-books on 

 Natural History into the schools, from which pupils may be made to re- 

 cite to teachers who know little of the subject, would be worse than 

 useless ; for it would kill the spirit of observation, which the study of Na- 

 ture eminently fosters. It should, therefore, be generally known that 

 from the very beginning the Director has made it one of the chief aims 

 of the Institution to educate young men, not only as students of Nature, 

 but as teachers also, and that the Museum of Comparative Zoology 

 affords the best opportunity in the country for this kind of preparation. 

 From its laboratories there have already gone out a large number of 

 trained workers, now established as professors, or explorers, or direc- 

 tors of scientific institutions. Among these may be mentioned Dr. Wra. 

 Simpson, Director of the Academy of Sciences of Chicago, Professor 

 J. LeConte of the University of California, Professor Clarke of the 

 University of Kentucky, Professor Verrill of Yale College, Professor 

 Hartt of Cornell University, Professor Morse of Bowdoin College, 

 Mr. Putnam, Director of the Peabody Museum in Salem, Professor 

 Packard of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, S. H. Scudder, 

 late Custodian of the Boston Society of Natural History, Professor 

 Hyatt of the Institute of Technology, Orestes H. St. John, officer of the 

 Iowa Geological Survey, Professor Tenney of Williamstown College, 

 "W. H. Niles of the Teachers' Institute and others. To these should 



