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THE USE: Ah'D ABUSE OF MUSEU.VS. 75
groat learned societies, such ae the LinumaL), Qeologicwl,
Zoological, Society of Antiquaries, eto. Tho co-optat& trustws,
too, iustead of being the great dignitaries and aristocrats oyer
again, might be chosen to a great extent from among the MQro
distinguished historians, artists, or men of loaruing, ~9 was
once done in the case of Hallam. It would bo a mistake,
however, to mako such a body prepondoratingly scientific,
and there should be an infusion of mon of action, such a8
distinguished engineers and leading bankers.
It would be a cli5cult matter to classify the various kiude
of Mussurns in a mannor at all cornpleto aud natural. Thew
are very many kinds of Museums, and the species shado into
each other or overlap each other in tho way most perploxing
to the systematic classifier. Dr. Gunther divided bluscuruv
into three cIasses,* but I am inclined to add threo othora, and
we then obtain the six following principal classes :
I. Standard Xntioual Muucums. IV. Special Afuscumu.
11. Popular Museums.
Educational Nuwums.
111. Provincial Nuseums. VI. Private Musaums.
I
V.
The Standard National Museurn of Great Britain is, of
course, tho British Museum; and even in 4 very rich kingdom
there can hardly be more than one really uatioual collection.
There may, indeed, be outlying portions of the national collection,
such as the Museums and Herbarium at Kew, tho
Patent Office Museum, the India Museurn, and other collections
at South Kensington. The principal purpose of all such
contra1 collections must be the advancement of knowledge,
and the preservation of specimens or works of art which hand
down the history of the nation and the world. It can only bo
in a merely secondary way that such invaIuablo and costly
Museums are opened for the amusement of casual sightseers
and strollers. Properly speaking, there ought to bo
a series of Museums both in London and the larger towns,
which I have specified in the second place as Popular
Museums. These are best represented in London by the
* British Association, Swansea, 1880; report, p. 59.2.