yi8 The Crisis at the British Museum . [December, 
But a majority of people do not live near these railways, 
and have in consequence first to take a journey by omnibus, 
tram-car, or by some other railway, losing more or less time 
at each change. I have calculated to what extent I am the 
loser by the alterations in question. Admitting that Great 
Russell Street is not the most central locality conceivable, 
and premising that I do not live very near the old Museum, 
I was able to reach it in less than an hour ; but after trying 
and comparing various possible routes, I find that it takes 
me an hour and a half to reach the new Museum. Thus on 
the double journey there is the clear loss of an hour, taken, 
be it well remembered, out of the best part of the day. Nor 
is my case at all singular ; I have compared notes with 
others who, like myself, are interested in the study of 
Natural History, and I find that they all experience a loss 
of time, greater or smaller, according to the spot where they 
happen to live. 
There is here a further and a no less important considera- 
tion : the new Museum stands quite isolated. Whoever 
wishes to visit it must undertake a special journey for that 
purpose ; he cannot intercalate it among a round of other 
places where he has to call. Now with the old Museum 
this was not so ; a man wishing, e.g., to compare some spe- 
cimen which he had received with the nearest approaching 
forms known could call there in passing, without the formality 
of a special journey. 
It must also be remembered that South Kensington is a 
“ locality ” for the wealthy only. Students and men more 
advanced in life, who devote themselves to the commercially 
barren task of scientific research, can scarcely be expected 
to take up their abode in so expensive a quarter. Even if 
they did so they would thereby be deprived of convenient 
access to the British Museum Library and to other means 
of study. This separation of the Library from the Collec- 
tions is in many cases inconvenient, both for the public and 
the officials. It is beginning to be found that a special library 
of Natural History will be needed for the use of the latter, 
— of course at considerable cost and not without difficulty, 
since many of the most important works of reference are 
out of print. 
What may be the motives which, in the face of these con- 
siderations, moved the powers that be to this great revolution 
I have never been able to learn. I find the step referred to 
with approval by the organs of official Science and in certain 
published speeches ; but could the question of removal to 
South Kensington have been submitted to a plebiscite of 
