August 14, 18S5. 



SCIENCE. 



127 



think only (2) and (3) necessary: the}^ elab- 

 orate a theory of life consistent with itself, and 

 apparently satisfactory in its application to 

 conduct, but are less careful to test its har- 

 mon}^ with facts derived from the senses. But 

 all three are necessary.^ The first furnishes 

 material ; the second constructs the building ; 

 the third tests its suitableness for human habi- 

 tation. All admit that successful application 

 to art is the best test of true theorj'. But con- 

 duct is the art corresponding to our theory of 

 life, and therefore the test of its truth. Now, 

 is not immortality as an element of our theory 

 of life in the highest degree conducive of right 

 conduct? Is it not a useful, yea a necessar}', 

 element in a working hypothesis ? 



4. But it ma}' be objected, animals, too, 

 have brains : in them, too, we find evidences 

 of something like consciousness and thought. 

 Are they, too, immortal? If so, where shall 

 we stop? AYe pass down by sliding scale, 

 without break, to the lowest verge of life. 

 Shall we stop here ? No : for vital is trans- 

 mutable into physical forces. Thus all is im- 

 mortal, or none. Thus hope of immortality 

 vanishes, as it were, by evaporation. 



This objection, though serious, is, we think, 

 not fatal. To make our view clear, we use an 

 illustration taken from biolog3\ Ma}' we not 

 imagine that in animals spirit is in embryo in 

 the womb of Nature, unconscious of self, and 

 incapable of independent life ; and that in man 

 it came to birth, — a separate spirit, — indi- 

 vidual, conscious of self, and capable of in- 

 dependent life, on a new and higher plane? 

 According to this view, geological time is the 

 period of gestation, evolution is the process 

 of development, and the appearance of man 

 the act of birth. '^ Joseph Le Conte. 



THE BRITISH MUSEUM OF NATURAL 

 HISTORY. 



The visitor to the west end of London is 

 confronted, upon turning into Cromwell Road, 

 by a large and majestic building, whose archi- 

 tectural grace and warm color make a ver}^ 

 pleasing impression upon the eye. This recent 

 addition to the splendors of the West End is 

 the home of the natural-histor}^ departments 

 of the British museum. By its completion 

 the plans of certain prominent English natu- 

 ralists are happily consummated. As early as 

 1854 Dr. Edward Gray, alarmed by the rapid 



1 Reflex action and theism. William James. Unitarian 

 reoiew for Novenober, 1881. 



2 Princeton review for November, 1878. 



growth of the national collection of objects 

 from the three kingdoms of nature, memorial- 

 ized the trustees of the British museum upon 

 the necessity of better accommodations. In 

 1862 the matter received careful attention 

 from Professor (now Sir) Richard Owen, who 

 published an elaborate essay upon the proper 

 scope of a national natural-history museum, 

 in which he presented plans for the division 

 of material, and the erection of a museum 

 building. These and other plans were thor- 

 oughly discussed b}' the naturalists of England, 

 and the critics became eventually divided into 

 two opposing factions, — the one maintaining 

 that it was best to hold the natural-history col- 

 lections in Great Russell Street b}^ an enlarge- 

 ment of the original edifice ; and the other, 

 that it was more desirable to erect a new 

 building somewhere in the w^estern part of the 

 metropolis, where more air and a better light 

 could be obtained. The latter view finally 

 prevailed in the government councils ; but, by 

 reason of a combination of unfortunate circum- 

 stances, nothing was done toward the erection 

 of a new building for nearl}^ twent}' 3'ears. 

 The collections were not moved from Great 

 Russell Street until the autumn of 1880. 



The new building stands upon a part of the 

 ground allotted to the great industrial exhibition 

 of 1851. Near it are the South Kensington 

 and Indian museums, and the structures occu- 

 pied by transient displays, such as the recent 

 fisheries and hygienic exhibitions. The main 

 portion of the building faces Cromwell Road, 

 and presents a frontage of about six hundred 

 and fifty feet. The two central towers are 

 fianked on either side by a long wing and a 

 terminal pavilion. The wings are three stories 

 high, with a basement. The style of architec- 

 ture is Norman-Gothic, richly ornamented with 

 animal forms and conventional figures drawn 

 from animate objects. At the back of the 

 principal part of the structure are a number of 

 single-storied annexes, running out at right 

 angles to the main wall. Light for the rooms 

 at the front and sides is obtained through large 

 windows reaching down to the floor, but the 

 annexes are lighted from the top. 



The entire building is constructed of a buff- 

 colored terra-cotta, which, as alread}^ intimated, 

 is elaborately modelled, especially about the 

 windows and doorways. The walls of the 

 interior are likewise ornamented with conven- 

 tional figures in relief. The ceiling of the 

 central hall, presentl}' to be mentioned, is in- 

 laid with wooden panels upon which are painted 

 representations of difi'erent species of plants in 

 life-colors. The floor is a rich marble mosaic. 



