12 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
science, become distinctly identified with public education 
also. The educative potentialities of Museums must be more 
fully recognised, especially by their governing bodies. It must 
be realised that the work of the staff of a Public Museum may 
rank high in educational importance, and means must be taken 
to induce and attract intellect and talent for the work. More 
generous treatment is necessary, especially m the staffing. 
From returns under this head recently analysed, it is found 
that the public museums of this country are all lamentably 
understaffed. For a Public Museum to fulfil its purpose in a 
conmmunity, authorities will have to realise that sufficient 
funds must be provided so that the services may be obtained 
of a qualified scientific head, with a sufficient number of trained 
assistants, proportionate to the size and importance of the 
collections and the field (Science, Archeology and Art) covered 
by them. If this is acted upon as a principle, even the smallest 
museum with most modest collections could be made of real 
educational value. 
What I should advocate is the formation of a Department 
of Public Instruction in every Public Museum situated in a 
large city or centre of population, on similar lines and with ~ 
similar functions as in the American Museum of Natural 
History. It should organise and arrange for the distribution 
of Museum Loan Collections to schools; the arrangements 
for and delivery of courses of lectures to teachers, pupils and 
the general public, both inside and outside the Museum, together 
with the preparation of lantern slides, specimens and other 
methods of illustration. The entire time and service of this 
department of the staff should be available to the public at. 
large, and to teachers and classes in particular. In short, its 
function should be to assimilate the scientific data supplied 
by the various sections of the museum, and present these facts 
in such a way that teachers can readily make use of them, and, 
children and the general public easily understand them. 
