80 CONSERVATOR OF SURGEONS’ MUSEUM [ch. iv. 
which they had been preserved, labelled, etc., and 
their condition generally, were readily taken in by 
him in all their detail, as well as in their general 
features, and were noted for reference in connection 
with his own work. He learned much that was of 
special interest to him, although apparently very 
little that was suggestive of improvement on his 
own ideas of museum classification and arrange¬ 
ment. Indeed, he comments very unfavourably on 
the condition of some of the museums which he 
had visited, while others drew from him warm 
approval. 
The following are a few extracts from the 
journal, which are very characteristic of the man, 
and illustrate the keenness of his eye in at once 
detecting what he found to be wrong and in seeing 
what he felt to be worthy of praise. 
Of the British birds in the Glasgow College 
Museum he says :— 
“ The birds are very clean and neat, but generally 
in bad attitudes. The beaks of two eagles were 
actually polished and varnished, and the legs and 
bills in general were painted, usually in tints unlike 
those of the parts in their natural state. The legs 
of birds ought never to be painted, for obvious 
reasons.” 
With reference to the natural history collection 
in the museum of the Liverpool Royal Institution 
he says:— 
“ The fossils are numerous and generally good. 
