1884.] Circulating Museum for Educational Purposes. 
14 7 
V. CIRCULATING MUSEUM FOR EDUCATIONAL 
PURPOSES. 
By Rev. H. H. Higgins. 
* T a meeting of the Liverpool School Board, held in 
December last, a communication was made from the 
Committee of the Library, Museum, and Gallery of 
Art, inquiring if the duplicate specimens in the Museum 
could be used for educational purposes in connexion with 
the Liverpool School Board. 
The scheme was cordially entertained by the Board, and 
subsequently a letter was received by Mr. Moore, Curator of 
the Public Museum, from W. Hewitt, B.Sc., Science In- 
sti udtor, mentioning a number of natural-history specimens 
likely to prove very serviceable to teachers in giving object 
ICooUIlo* 
. % first impression was that a small series of natural- 
history objects might be given to each school ; but this idea 
was relinquished, chiefly for two reasons 
1. In case of many applications for collections being re- 
ceived, the specimens granted must necessarily be 
small and of inferior character. 
2. The collections being of little value, and remaining 
without alterations or additions, would probably be- 
fore very long become neglected and wasted. 
These considerations turned my thoughts towards the esta- 
blishment of a circulating museum, the practicability and 
utility of which form the subject of the following report: — 
I he peculiarity of the scheme maybe said to be based 
upon the recognition of a capacity in the children educated 
in Board Schools to be interested and delighted with objects 
of beauty or skill with which they are unfamiliar. This 
capacity is shared by all ages and ranks. A crystal vase in 
a drawing-room at length attracts little admiration from its 
owner, but fills with enthusiasm a stranger guest. The failure 
in schools, of series of objects which have been extensively 
made up and sold as collections, has arisen mainly from the 
large number and insignificant individuality of the specimens 
In the case of a hundred children assembled in the ^allery 
of a class-room it would be comparatively easy to rivet and 
