PKOVINCIAL MUSEUMS. 
13^2 
if it were adopted a uniform plan might be carried through the 
collections from end to end, giving a systematic completeness which 
is rarely found in museums at the present time. It utilises the breaks 
and blank spaces in every series, making them distinct items of 
knowledge in a manner scarcely ever attempted, and in fact almost 
impossible with the usual methods of arrangement. It is an elastic 
system, admitting of many variations while retaining the fundamental 
principle, and of all really effective systems it is the least expensive, 
because it depends mainly upon objects procurable in the locality. 
That provincial museums should give primary attention to local objects 
is now a recognised principle among nearly all those authorities who 
have studied this subject. In the Transactions of the Hertfordshire 
Natural History Society for October, 1881, is an excellent article on 
Provincial Museums, by Mr. John Hopkinson, F.L.S., in which the 
opinions of many of the leaders of modern science are quoted, all 
pointing in this direction. Having recently been engaged in discussing 
this matter with the managers of the Leicester Museum, I took steps 
to ascertain the present opinion of the best authorities. Fifty printed 
circulars were posted to gentlemen of well-known scientific repute, 
mostly Fellows of the Hoyal Society, asking for their views as to 
whether, in provincial museums, local or general collections should 
receive primary attention. The whole of these fifty gentlemen were 
good enough to return the circular duly marked, and in many cases 
with notes appended enforcing and explaining their views. Forty of 
them were distinctly and strongly in favour of the local collections 
taking primary rank and being worked up to the utmost completeness. 
Unfortunately, however, this evidence did not prevail; the old-fashioned 
system was adhered to, and the Leicester Museum has lost the 
opportunity of being a leader in museum reform, and a model for the 
Midland Counties of what present scientific opinion demands. The 
Derby and Nottingham Museums have made some excellent 
attempts at reform, hut in my judgment they are not on the whole 
successful. The Nottingham Museum is imperfectly lighted, and the 
handsome central cases, being tall and very close together, make a sort 
of labyrinth, in which one loses the thread of the arrangement. I 
hope the Birmingham Museum will take all these lessons to heart and 
give us the model tor which we wait. I hope also that particular at¬ 
tention will be given to the lighting of its rooms and galleries, both by 
day and night. The reflection of windows or gaslights from the glass 
of the cases destroys half the value of their contents. Finally, it must 
not be forgotten that museums should aim at a good deal more than the 
casual instruction of chance visitors. A model museum should be 
associated with a school of science, and should possess, in addition to 
its mounted and exhibited collections, duplicate collections of skins, 
etc., arranged in drawers, for removal to the lecture theatre, and tor 
handling and examination by students. This department is at least as 
important as the other. 
