1884.] A walk through the Nat. History Museum at Florence. 497 
a fresh-water lake, indicate that their carcases were washed there 
by the flowing waters, and sank eventually to its bottom. The 
mammals of this section have been studied by Dr. Falconer, who 
has published numerous observations thereon. Among the more 
interesting may be named Elephas meridionalis (Nesti), Rhinoceros 
etruscus (Falconer), R. megarhinus (Christolf), Hippopotamus 
major (Cuvier), Bos etruscus (Falconer), Equus stenonis (Cocchi), 
Cervus dicranios (Nesti), C. ctinoides (Nesti), and Bos primigenius 
(Blum.), 
This museum has known its seasons of struggle with adverse 
circumstances, connected with the rise and fall of rulers during 
the latter part of the last and early in this century, and was not 
placed upon a firm foundation until the establishment of Victor 
Emmanuel upon the throne of Italy in 1861. 
Credit is due the Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany, who em- 
ployed Fontaina to collect objects illustrative of natural history, 
Purchased the palace of the Bini and opened the museum to the 
Public in 1780, During the days of Bonaparte ascendency, the 
new Queen of Etruria added a school of “ public instruction” 
and founded chairs in astronomy, physics, anatomy, zoology, min- 
eralogy, botany and chemistry, which was maintained for seven 
years, until the downfall of the Napoleonic kingdom and restora- 
ton of the Grand Duke, when the school was suppressed. 
Nearly twenty years passed, and it was revived, and again at the 
accession of Victor Emmanuel, when the institution for more 
advanced studies was founded, and chairs of geology, metallurgy 
aad mining were added, and courses of lectures annually de- 
livered, 
The shackles of spiritual tyranny having been unbound and the 
ipa hard bands of classical devotion loosed, Italy has at length 
on We light her unwise rulers sought to hide, and a new life is 
wil in the veins of her children. If true to herself, and in the 
Ployment of her opportunities, if earnest in efforts for wider cul- 
A; ogi wise in her choice of science as the intellectual trainer 
T PAT mind, and if open to the reception of a sound 
eri $ faith, attended by a corresponding advance in her moral 
lies a € may happily take again the place she once had as the 
among the nations, 
