Correspondence 



419 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE "MUSEUM GAZETTE." 



In reference to your suggestion as to the desirability of forming- 

 Museum Societies " in all towns and in many villages " {supra, p. 278), 

 may I remind you that such an institution has existed in Hastings 

 for upwards of sixteen years, under the name of the " Hastings and 

 St. Leonards-on-Sea Museum Association." This Association was 

 founded on May n, 1890, with Lord Brassey as President, and 

 Mr. William Vandeleur Crake as Hon. Secretary. In the same year 

 a beginning was made to accumulate material, and later on a portion 

 of the local geological collections formed by the late Mr. S. H. 

 Beckles, F.R.S., was purchased, while the late Rev. J. W. Tottenham, 

 of St. Leonards, gave the whole of his extensive and valuable private 

 museum. 



In August, 1892, the Hastings Museum was formally opened to the 

 public. Practically, the whole of the funds for maintenance and 

 development were provided by annual subscriptions and donations 

 until April, 1905, when the Museum was transferred to the Corporation 

 of the Borough. 



Unfortunately, however, the sum appropriated to the needs of the 

 Museum by the Corporation is at present inadequate, and the Asso- 

 ciation conceived the plan of supplementing the grant, and of main- 

 taining the interest of its old supporters by continuing its existence. 

 By the terms of the deed of transfer the Association further 

 secured to itself the privilege of nominating six members for election 

 to the Corporation Museum Committee. 



I suppose Hastings is not alone in having a publicly owned 

 Museum inadequately supported by public funds, and hence I cor- 

 dially approve the suggestion contained in your note. 



Corporation Museum, Hastings. W. Ruskin Butterfield. 



Note for Microscopists and Zoologists. — Mr. Arthur 

 Thomas (Boscombe) writes : "I do not think it is generally recog- 

 nised what an excellent hunting ground is the Fontinalis antipyretica 

 growing on lock gates, millstream walls, and other similar places. In 

 one lot from the moat at Christchurch I found specimens of Mollusca 

 (Patudina, Bithynia, and Planorbis) ; Crustacea ; larvae in great pro- 

 fusion, some of the caddis- worm type ; three or four varieties of rotifers, 

 a form of Vorticella new to me, and Stent or in great profusion." : 



A Manuscript of John Foster.— Some of our readers who may 

 have been interested in what we have written respecting John Foster, 

 may like to know of the following item which we extract from 

 Tregaski's catalogue (232, High Holborn) : — 



170 FOSTER (John, the Essayist) Notes for a Sermon in his autograph, 

 on 4 pp., 8vo, bound in a volume, with letter of authentication from his 

 daughter, and a note by the late owner, half morocco, 8s 6d 



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