FOR CIRCULATION AMONG THE VILLAGE SCHOOLS OF ESSEX. 187
the central museum, and allowed, under proper restrictions, to circu-
late on loan among the village schools of Essex.
The means of scientific instruction by object-lessons would thus
be carried into remote parts of the county, to the great benefit of
those least likely to be able to visit the Central Institution. As
Matthew Arnold said, with reference to a different subject, "We
must take this instruction to the students, and not hope to bring
the students to the instruction."
In Liverpool the circulating system is worked with marked suc-
cess, but is confined to schools within the boundaries of the city.
The scheme originated with the Rev. Henry H. Higgins, who has
devoted the best years of his life to the development of the great
Natural History Museum which adorns his city. A memorandum,
embodying the suggestions, was originally drawn up by Mr. Higgins
in 1884, and issued by the Liverpool Museum Committee1. The
scheme was duly accepted, and a few months afterwards Mr. T. J.
Moore, the curator, presented a report,2 giving details of the construc-
tion of the cabinets and the nature of their contents, illustrated by
three photographs showing the cabinets laid open for inspection.
The work of periodically distributing these collections to the schools,
and exchanging them for others, has developed upon Mr. J. Chard,
an enthusiastic assistant at the Museum ; and at the Liverpool
Meeting of the Museums Association last year he read a paper on
the progress of the scheme.3
It is satisfactory to note that the scheme has been singularly suc-
cessful. "That the showing of specimens does interest the children
is abundantly proved by experience," says Mr. Chard. "The
promise to exhibit a cabinet to the children, and give a lesson upon
it, never fails to secure a large attendance." Surely there is no
reason why the success in Liverpool should not be repeated in
Essex. That the children in East Anglia—even the children of
agricultural labourers in rural parishes—are capable of appreciating
scientific instruction, if properly and agreeably presented, was
amply demonstrated years ago by the notorious success of Prof.
Henslow's botanical lessons in the national school of Hitcham.
"No one," said the professor on one occasion, "who had heard the
1 "Proposed Circulating Museum for Schools and other Educational Purposes." By the
Rev. H. H. Higgins, M.A., Chairman of the Museum Sub-Committee. (Jan. 1884.)
2 "Report on the Progress of the Circulating Museum Collections." By Thomas J.Moore,
Curator. (June, 1884.)
3 "On Circulating Cabinets for Schools and other Educational Purposes." By John Chard,
Assistant in the Liverpool Museum. Report of Proceedings at First Annual General Meeting of
the Museums Association, 1890, p. 54.
N 2