I
88f
10
pupils at intervals visit public works and manufactories along with the Professor.
No provision at present exists for addressing the general public through the organization of the Industrial Museum otherwise than by incidental, informal lectures. Of these many have been given, and when the new buildings are completed, arrangements will be made for periodically and systematically addressing the non-academical sections of the community.
DIRECTORY
OF
THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, EDINBURGH.
The Natural History Museum of Edinburgh has been in existence since the year 1812, when it was established in connexion with the University, receiving at the same time for its maintenance a Government grant of 100l. a year.
In 1819 Mr. Bullock's museum and the very extensive collection belonging to M. Dufresne, of Paris, happened to be for sale, and a sum of money, amounting to 3,000l., was voted by the Senatus Academicus from the funds of the college for the purchase of a selection from Mr. Bullock's museum and of the entire of the collection belonging to M. Dufresne. From the manuscript catalogue which accompanied M. Dufresne's collection it appears that this collection contained 1,600 birds, 2,600 shells, 12,000 insects, 600 eggs of birds, 200 fossils, with a considerable number of radiata, and a few mammals.
In 1820 the Museum was opened to the public at an admission charge of 2s. 6d., which was subsequently reduced to 1s., and in 1831 the Government grant was increased to 200l. a year, the sum at which it has since remained.
In 1855, by a vote of the Town Council, who are patrons of the University, the Museum was handed over to the Department of Science and Art, then under the Board of Trade; and in 1857 the Department of Science and Art, having been transferred from the Board of Trade to the Privy Council Committee on Education, the Museum passed under the control of the last-mentioned body.
The Museum is situated within the University buildings, and occupies nearly the whole of the west side of the great central quadrangle. It is devoted to the systematic arrangement and display of the various classes of objects which constitute the subject of the Natural History Sciences, botanical specimens alone being excluded, as these are provided for in the Botanic Gardens and Museum under the charge of the Professor of Botany in the University.
The collection is one of considerable extent, and in some branches is exceedingly rich. Almost the whole of it was accumulated by the indefatigable exertions of the late...
490
I
88f
10
pupils at intervals visit public works and manufactories along with the Professor.
No provision at present exists for addressing the general public through the organization of the Industrial Museum otherwise than by incidental, informal lectures. Of these many have been given, and when the new buildings are completed, arrangements will be made for periodically and systematically addressing the non-academical sections of the community.
DIRECTORY
OF
THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, EDINBURGH.
THE Natural History Museum of Edinburgh has been in existence since the year 1812, when it was established in connexion with the University, receiving at the same time for its maintenance a Governinent grant of 100%. a year.
In 1819 Mr. Bullock's museum and the very extensive collection belonging to M. Dufresne, of Paris, happened to be for sale, and a sum of money, amounting to 3,000%, was voted by the Senatus Academicus from the funds of the college for the purchase of a selection from Mr. Bullock's museum and of the entire of the collection belonging to M. Dufresne. From the manuscript catalogue which ac- companied M. Dufresne's collection it appears that this collection contained 1,600 birds, 2,600 shells, 12,000 insects, 600 eggs of birds, 200 fossils, with a considerable number of radiata, and a few mammals.
In 1820 the Museum was opened to the public at an ad- mission charge of 2s. 6d., which was subsequently reduced to 18., and in 1831 the Government grant was increased to 2001. a year, the sum at which it has since remained.
In 1855, by a vote of the Town Council, who are patrons of the University, the Museum was handed over to the Department of Science and Art, then under the Board of Trade; and in 1857 the Department of Science and Art, having been transferred from the Board of Trade to the Privy Council Committee on Education, the Museum passed under the control of the last-mentioned body.
The Museum is situated within the University buildings, and occupies nearly the whole of the west side of the great central quadrangle. It is devoted to the systematic arrange- ment and display of the various classes of objects which constitute the subject of the Natural History Sciences, botanical specimens alone being excluded, as these are pro- vided for in the Botanic Gardens and Museum under the charge of the Professor of Botany in the University.
The collection is one of considerable extent, and in some branches is exceedingly rich. Almost the whole of it was accumulated by the indefatigable exertions of the late dis-
490
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