1856-81 A LECTURE-THEATRE WANTED 33 



1 One of the most popular and instructive 

 features in a public collection of natural history- 

 would be a portion devoted to specimens selected 

 to show type-characters of the principal groups of 

 organised and crystallised forms. This would 

 constitute an epitome of natural history, and should 

 convey to the eye in the easiest way an 

 elementary knowledge of the science. An esti- 

 mate of the space required for such an exhibition 

 was given, and I ventured also on another topic 

 in connection with the more immediate object of 

 my report. Moreover, such a museum of natural 

 history should have wider influences ; and collec- 

 tions of rarities and specimens so restricted as 

 that in Lincoln's Inn Fields (Royal College of 

 Surgeons) had impressed me with the conviction 

 that explanatory lectures had great influence on 

 their growth and applications. I concluded my 

 report, therefore, by referring to the lecture-theatre 

 shown in my plan, and expressed my belief that 

 administrators will consider it due to the public 

 that the gentlemen in charge of the several 

 departments of the National Collection of Natural 

 History should have assigned to them the duty of 

 explaining the principles and relations, by ele- 

 mentary and free lectures, of such departments 

 as, for example, Ornithology, Botany, Geology, 

 Palaeontology, Mineralogy, &c.' 



' After the lapse of twenty years,' Owen said 

 in 1 88 1, 'I have lived to see the fulfilment of all 



VOL. II. D 



