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than a great collection huddled together and serving only to bewilder
the average spectator. * * *
"There are exceptions to this economical selection of specimens
for public exhibition in a local Museum which will often arise in
practice; it might be advisable, for instance, in some cases, to
exhibit the whole series of objects obtained during the course of some
local investigation, or a group of animals or plants which are particu-
larly well represented in the district; or a series demonstrating some
important biological or archaeological fact or principle. * *
" We have still to consider the requirements of the beginner of the
serious study of natural history, and the usefulness of the Museum to
pupils in schools and elementary science classes. For the benefit of
these, and also, I think, that there may be a logical coherence of the
various exhibits, a type or " index " collection should be provided,
even in small museums. This type or " index " collection should show
the aspect and sequence of all the groups occurring in the district,
with an indication of the gaps in the series, at least so far as regards
some larger area, say Great Britain or Europe, that the student may
obtain clear notions of the natural relations of each group. Such an
educational series may be quite small, and consist of little more than
an orderly arrangement of a few of the typical species in each order,
or it may be almost indefinitely extended, to show the morphology,
development and mode of life of interesting forms in each group. * *
" A question at once arises, concerning which there may be a
difference of opinion. How far, if at all, should the specimens used in
such an index series be confined to those species occuring in the district
illustrated by the Museum ? After careful consideration, I am of opinion
that the selection of specimens should not be so restricted, and for the
following reasons:—
" First, one somewhat pertinent objections to purely local museums
is that they will tend to widen and intensify the insular prejudices of
British naturalists and collectors; to convey to beginners false notions
of the importance of our meagre fauna and flora, and tend to the over-
production of what Professor Miall calls ' the records of parish distribu-
tion.' I suggest that if the specimens used in building up the classificatory
series in a local museum were drawn from a wide area this collection
would greatly gain in educational value, by counteracting this tendency
towards narrowness of view. Secondly, frequently the local species of
a group are by no means the best that could be selected to demonstrate
the facts of classification and morphology. They may often be too
small, or their characters may be too generalised to furnish a good
illustration; and this is still more likely to be the case if dissections are
desired. It would be difficult, for instance, to give a good idea of a
myriapod if the curator were restricted in his choice to local species.
Thirdly, the exclusive use of local specimens in the index series would
tend often to the duplication of exhibits, the same species being shown
both in the classificatory and local series. This would be a waste of