360 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 
as well as by people of more scientific attainment, may become 
fairly complete. 
Alter fne local collections I would place the purchase of 
typical specimens from foreign parts, which will supplement the 
local material and be useful as illustrating more completely the 
subjects taught. The matter of exhibiting in a college museum 
striking or extraordinary objects of any kind merely because 
they attract attention is to be discouraged. 
Unless funds are available to purchase occasional supplemen- 
tary specimens there will be a lack of balance. This can be 
helped by exchange with other museums, but one is sadly handi- 
capped without funds for this purpose. 
After the question of what to exhibit comes the question how 
to exhibit. This is difficult to answer or even discuss because of 
the varying conditions in colleges, but I do not refer now so 
much to the room or space available, as to the method of display. 
The conception of a museum as a ‘‘series of carefully written 
labels each illustrated by a good specimen” is to my mind close 
to the mark. A carefully labeled specimen though not so per- 
fect may be and often is far more valuable than a more perfect 
specimen poorly labeled or with no label at all. The thousands 
of unlabeled or poorly labeled specimens in our Iowa collections 
is enough to make one’s heart ache (and one’s head ache if he is 
searching for information). Too often also is it true that “out 
of sight is out of mind” and unlisted material that is stored in 
drawers is forgotten just when most needed for the class room. 
A card index and catalog of accessions will prevent this. The 
usefulness of a museum is directly in proportion to its accessi- 
bility. 
Another function of the college museum should be to save in 
as nearly perfect condition as possible and permanently, such 
specimens of our vanishing life as may come to hand. This 
brings up the question of modern taxidermy. Even the best 
museums of the east are finding the methods of a few years ago 
utterly failing in their durability and permanency. Skins cured 
with alum and strefched over clay manikins, like Hornaday’s 
Giant Ray, apparently “get mad and tear themselves to tatters.” 
The methods now followed however seem to promise better 
things and I believe are permanent if skillfully done. Speci- 
mens will always require care but once thoroughly prepared the 
necessary attention is reduced to a minimum. 
