276 Scientific Reviews. 
not the courtesy to allow men of science to examine them, should 
be directed not to occupy, with useless things, those apartments 
which might be made the depository of so much treasure yet un- 
exposed on the excuse of want of room. 
But we are aware that certain alterations in the present arrange- 
ments would be necessary before this object of utility could be car- 
ried into effect. For instance, study would be impracticable in the 
rooms of public show ; and a greater number of assistants would be 
required for giving out the specimens from the cases, taking the re- 
ceipts, and other contingent duties. But would that the Commis- 
sioners may find no other difficulty, in making that Museum service- 
able, than these little impediments. Let these, however, be re- 
moved, by providing a room where specimens may be examined 
with convenience, and well lighted to facilitate the labours of the 
artist. Let an assistant-keeper be appointed by Government, to 
give out the specimens on application, with a salary,* out of which 
he may hire two or three under-assistants, for removing them to 
the apartment appropriated to the purposes of study.. If the Mu- 
seum be deserving of the attention of the Royal Commissioners, it 
will certainly be worth their while to obtain an increase of the grant 
from Government, in such a small degree as would be necessary to 
provide a fixed salary for the assistant-keeper. 
By carrying out and establishing these regulations, even in a 
modified form, we venture to predict lasting honour to the Royal. 
Commission, founded on the satisfaction of the people, and the ad- 
vancement of knowledge. Men will look back to the period of 
their authority as a commonwealth where the interests of science 
were supreme, and where suflicient skill was evinced to provide 
against those times of exigence, which may otherwise return after. 
their duties are performed, when the office of absolute Dictator will 
again be assumed. 
Thus do we, for the present, terminate our remarks on the in- 
fluence which the present state of the Edinburgh College Museum 
must possess over science in Scotland. We repeat our regret at 
being obliged to take upon ourselves the odious and dangerous duty. 
of pleading on our own complaint, because we are aware that our 
natural incautiousness, and our Utopian desire and expectation of 
the perfectibility of things may betray us into a warmth of lan- 
guage and an intemperate display of indignation which ill befits the 
-man of science, even when most grossly injured. We are aware 
that a comparative estimate of our rank, our labours, and our public 
name, with those of a Professor of Natural History, would be to 
our infinite disadvantage. And we know that, if our case were unpre- 
* For want of funds to give an adequate salary, the Museum has been obliged 
to relinquish the valuable services of Mr. Macgillivray, the late assistant-keeper, of 
whose loss we do not venture to predict the consequence. We wish the Royal 
Commissioners may see fit to restore him to his office permanently, with a stipend 
equivalent to his talents for the situation, 
