330 PKACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



system wliicL. was thorouglily coliererLt tlirougliout tlie whole of 

 tlie collections, and I finally abandoned it, on tlie advice of Dr. 

 Sclater, the originator, I believe, of the " zoo-geographical 

 divisions." 



I wanted a system which might be carried out throughout 

 the whole biological collections, and this end was best gained by 

 arranging them in zoological order, so far as is possible in these 

 days, when the microscope tells us that a plant may be an animal, 

 or mce versa, or that an organism may be a plant now and 

 something very like an animal a short time after (see Saville 

 Kent on the "myxomycetes"). With the plants and invertebrates 

 this was comparatively easy, for though, as I have before 

 pointed out, no linear arrangement is correct, yet in a small 

 museum the " table cases " for invertebrates must run on in 

 lines, and the mounting, owing to their enormous numbers and 

 usually small size, must be tabular, and not pictorial (except, 

 of course, in rare instances). 



I was aware that several naturalists had " laid down the law " 

 as to the i30sition to be taken by local museums, and that 

 notably Mr. John Hopkinson, of the "Watford Natural History 

 Society, had written his views upon the subject ; but these 

 views are, I think, probably somewhat narrowed by the small 

 size of the museum he had in mind whilst writing. Though 

 agreeing with him in the main, I considered that very few 

 provincial museums, excepting Liverpool, could boast of having 

 anything like so large a space for the exhibition of specimens 

 as we possessed in our zoological room. It may be taken, 

 therefore, for granted, that what was written specially to 

 suit the requirements of Watford is not of the slightest 

 use when sought to be applied to larger museums. When, 

 however, Mr. Hopkinson quotes the opinions of such well- 

 known scientists as Professors Flower, Rudler, Dr. Sclater, 

 and other practical workers, his compilation becomes of some 

 value. Professor Rudler, it will be seen, points out that, how- 

 ever full and perfect a local collection may be, it would teach 

 nothing if narrowed down to purely local limits, and that, 

 therefore, it must be broadened for the sake of comparison ; and 

 he very properly says : " Whilst we should patriotically aspire 

 to render the local collection as perfect as possible, I would not 



