274 Scientific Reviews. 
least added to its funds. But as it is probable that even with these 
additions the restricted allowance from Government would ill suffice 
for the maintenance of so respectable an institution, we are far from 
desirous of depriving it of those contributions which a lberal public 
would at all times gladly afford. And we contend, that as in this par- 
ticular instance there is an excuse for a requisition which no public 
Museum should be allowed by Government to be obliged to enforce, 
it would be true policy in the guardians not to permit the extortion 
of any sum which thoughtlessness may suggest, but to consider what 
would be most likely to attract the greatest numbers. And it is our 
firm opinion, supported by the sentiments of all with whom we con- 
verse, or whoseremarks onthis subject are constantly appearing in the 
public papers, and, moreover, practically formed upon observation of 
the crowds that flock to see the Hunterian Museum of Glasgow, that 
if the admission were at a lower rate, the receipts would far exceed 
their present amount. ‘Often would I go there with my half dozenof 
children,” says a writer in the Caledonian Mercury, “ but I cannot 
afford for such an object to be leaving 7-8ths of a pound sterling be- 
hind me,—although at the expense of a shilling a-head, I wouldoften 
be tempted to give them a holiday and a treat.” Though this gentle- 
man was not aware that, by a recent stretch of generosity, children 
under twelve years of age are admitted gratis, the reasonableness of 
this remark is equally applicable on the large scale. We have long 
since been obliged to relinquish our office of cicisbeo to our stranger 
friends from the heavy penalty which our politeness entailed. It 
would, at the least, be worth the experiment to see whether the 
reduction of the admission money to one shilling would not be pro- 
ductive of increased revenue to the Museum. It would certainly 
remove from the people that dissatisfaction which must eventually 
have a most injurious effect on the collection. 
But we do not stop here. We nish the accounts to be examin- 
ed: and if it be found compatible with the support. of the esta- 
blishment, we would have every shadow of restriction removed. 
We would have the rank of the Edinburgh College Museum raised 
in this respect to an equality with that of the British Museum, 
of the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, and with that of 
the Jardin des Plantes. In short, we would have the public ad- 
mitted scot free on particular days.. 
Secondly, As to the students of the university : We have stated, 
that those only who are pupils of Professor Jameson can enter the 
Museum without the payment of half-a-crown. By whose autho- 
rity is this singular provision enforced ? By whom but the Keeper 
of the Museum? Now this appears to be one of the most unjust 
and illiberal proceedings which could be imagined. Not satisfied 
with the use of the specimens to elucidate (a non lucendo) his 
lectures, the Professor will allow no man who thinks it sufficient to 
read Scoresby’s Arctic Regions at home, or who does not believe 
the discrimination of mineral varieties to be the summit of natural 
science, to pursue the study of Natural History in our Museum. We 
