12
tinguished Professor Jameson, who, for the period of half a century, held the appointment of Regius Professor of Natural History in the University, and Regius Keeper of the Museum. An important addition has been recently made to it by the will of the late much-lamented Professor Edward Forbes, who bequeathed to it the whole of his own private collection, consisting chiefly of invertebrate animals, among which are many specimens of great interest and rarity.
The contents of the Museum of Natural History may be conveniently considered under three principal heads:—
1. Zoology.
II. Mineralogy.
III. Geology,
I. THE ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS.
In the accumulation and display of the Zoological Collections three distinct objects have been kept in view:—
1. The formation of a general collection, involving as much detail of specific form as is practicable under the limiting conditions of space adequate for display, and funds available for purchase. In some departments this portion of the Museum is already tolerably extensive; but in order that a general collection of species should approach to anything like completeness, a far greater amount of space would be needed than can reasonably be expected to be ever available here, and the present Keeper considers that the resources of the Museum will be much more profitably applied in the completing of the British and Typical Collections, than in any attempt to heap together a vast accumulation of species from all parts of the world.
2. The formation of a collection of British species intended to illustrate as far as possible the Fauna of the British Isles. This collection is arranged and displayed so as to afford ample facility for the comparison and identification of British species; and it is certain that the use of such a collection, correctly labelled and arranged, will enable the student of British Zoology to pursue his researches with immeasurably less labour than would be possible without the assistance thus afforded.
In order to render it as useful as possible, it was deemed advisable to indicate the general geographical distribution of the species in the British Isles, and with this view a conventional system of colours has been adopted in the labelling of the objects, and explained upon a card affixed to each case.
13
3. The formation of a Typical Collection of Animals. This collection is intended to illustrate the leading types of animal form, and, consequently, does not aim at the accumulation of mere species. Though still deficient in many types, it is steadily progressing, and when further completed, will probably prove the most useful section of the Zoological department. It will possess, at least for the general visitor, an educational value which cannot be expected from a mere accumulation of species, into whose details it is vain to suppose that the public can enter, and which can leave upon the mind of the visitor nothing but confused impressions of a multiplicity of forms, among which he can recognise no definite relations, and whose endless details must too frequently only dishearten the student, and render the collection, in a great measure, powerless as an agent of public instruction.
II. THE MINERALOGICAL COLLECTION. This is very extensive, and contains many beautiful and valuable specimens. It is contained in a series of horizontal glazed cases, and is thus displayed in the best possible way for admitting an inspection of the specimens.
III. THE GEOLOGICAL COLLECTION.
This contains an extensive series of rocks, which, for want of space, are as yet but partially arranged, and a collection of fossils, which though tolerably complete in some departments, is still very deficient in others. The Keeper, however, is actively engaged in making additions to the Palæontological series, and characteristic fossils of the British formations, and of some of their continental equivalents are being rapidly accumulated. The stratigraphical arrangement is that which is adopted, and notwithstanding its numerous deficiencies, the collection will, even in its present state, enable the student of Palæontology to form a good general idea of the past life of the Globe during the successive great geological epochs.
The correct labelling of all the specimens in the Museum is an object of primary importance, and much time and labour is devoted to it. In some cases, as where the specimen is invested with some peculiar interest, a short descriptive note is added, and objects too minute for satisfactory inspection are occasionally accompanied by an enlarged drawing. It is believed that such notes and drawings must add greatly to the value of the Museum
491