No. 482] CATALOGUING MUSEUM SPECIMENS 



95 



to the former is that the space occupied by a specimen uiiworthv 

 of being j)roperly recorded, is more vahiable than the specimen 

 itself, while to the latter no reply is needed. 



It is minecessary and often inadvisable to at once rcdiict' loinicr 

 catalogues to a card system. Incoming matori;il (mii \)v cai;!- 

 logued on the cards, and as the opportunity allows, ftoni liu^ 

 previous records can be transferred to cards. 



Conservatism * is a valuable factor in connection with all s(;ien- 

 tific work. It has its limitations however, and in order to make 

 definite progress in any direction, old methods must give place to 

 new ones — the fittest w^ill survive. 



Ken VON COLLKGE, (iAMUIER, Ouio. Dcc. 1, 1900 



^ Meyer, (:()() 01) in his (ixcellent revi(nv- of the niuseunis of the eastern 



niuseurtjs in respect to the installation of the collections. In reply to this 

 criticism however it might well be suggested that to a certain extent at least 

 this lack of uniformity is an iiuHcatioii of healthy activity. It is not considered 

 necessary in this .•ou.ifry to rling to traditional ideas %xhich are too often 



of dealing willi well known i)rol)lenis arc sought and evolved and if their 



presidential address before the members of Sijrina \i ( I )cc. .{1 . H)():{ i cxprcsst-d 

 similar ideas regarding this tendency which he li:ul noted. •lii rniiur. m 

 Geniiany, even in England, the tradition of great ii.iines, the nistonis ot j;,-,.;,! 



