Literary and Educational Supplement. 



®fje Museum. 



THE WEST AMERICAN MU- 

 SEUM OF NATURE 

 AND ART. 



More than two years have passed 

 since the prospectus of this institu- 

 tion was published. These two years 

 have not been idle ones in its growth, 

 though little external evidence has 

 been given. A brief review of the 

 object and scope of the institution 

 may not come amiss at the present 

 time. 



THE OBJECT. 



The ostensible aim of a museum 

 is the accumulation and preservation 

 of material of whatever character that 

 may offer. But the work of this in- 

 stitution is not intended to consist 

 merely in the forming of vast, unas- 

 similative collections. A museum 

 should contain the results of re- 

 searches should be a custodian of 

 public and private records, and pre- 

 eminently it should be a factor in the 

 education of the public. It should 

 be its aim to increase and diffuse 

 knowledge, to secure and make 

 known every fact relative to each 

 object in its possession, to preserve 

 as complete and full data as possible 

 concerning each. A new fact should 

 be more highly prized than simple 

 addition to the cabinet without cor- 

 responding contributions to science. 

 The forming of collections is of ines- 

 timable value in facilitating the study 

 of nature, science and history, and 

 cannot well be over-estimated; but 

 that work need not and should not 

 interfere with or preclude the opera- 

 tion of the higher functions of a mu- 

 seum. 



Indispensable adjuncts to a museum 

 are libraries, laboratories for the 

 prosecution of original and special 

 investigations, schools for the train- 

 ing of its own workers in the best 

 methods of study known, and of 

 still greater importance, the publica- 

 tion of the results of its work. It is 

 no longer the height of ambition 

 with great institutions to secure the 

 greatest accumulation of material; 



but that institution stands highest 

 that makes the best use of what it 

 has, and presents the most thorough 

 contributions to knowledge through 

 its mediums of communication with 

 the world. 



THE SCOPE. 



As its name implies, The West 

 American Museum of Nature and 

 Art. possesses as its immediate field 

 of operation the western half ot the 

 American continent — from Alaska 

 to Cape Horn. But it is not pro- 

 posed to limit the scope of the 

 museum even to this broad field. It 

 is hoped that large and exhaustive 

 collections representing both fauna 

 and flora, mineral wealth and pre- 

 historic remains of the two Americas 

 and of the isles of the great Pacific 

 may ultimately be brought together; 

 and then, Africa, Asia and Europe 

 would be called upon to contribute 

 freely of their natural objects and 

 works of art. Thus early, they have 

 contributed a no small number to the 

 nucleus of our museum, so that it is 

 folly to think of restricting such an 

 institution in any line, except as its 

 immediate finances may render neces- 

 sary.. 



THE NUCLEUS. 



It is not desirable to here enter 

 into details regarding the C. R. Or- 

 cutt Miscellaneous Collections which 

 now constitute the nucleus around 

 which the museum is rapidly grow- 

 ing. Suffice it to say that these 

 very miscellaneous collections in- 

 clude shells from every clime, thous- 

 ands of minerals and fossils, archae- 

 ological remains (principally Ameri- 

 can), birds, eggs, insects and num- 

 berless other classes of objects need- 

 less now to enumerate. 



THE DIVISION OF BOTANY. 



The museum is already, necessarily, 

 divided into various sections, of 

 which the Division of Botany is es- 

 pecially important. The herbarium 

 like the other collections, is particu- 

 larly representative of Southern and 

 Lower California. A fine series of 

 wood sections of California, Eastern 

 and West Indian trees and shrubs, 

 with fruit and seeds, is an important 



