Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-06-04
THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.

On the I'd of June, 1859, the organization OF
the Museum of Comparative Zoology was com
pleted. That interesting fact is destined to
become one of the monuments of our chrome
logy. The new institution, endowed by the
bounty of the Commonwealth and the gene
rocs requests of her citizens, and devoted to
the encouragement of the most useful of the
natural sciences win be the ornament of the
State, as long as the State endures. Forum
ately for science and for her own fame, Massa-
chusetts finds herself in a position to secure
the establishment of an institution of which
any State might be proud, at a time when it
is most needed and will achieve the most good.
She has the power of a kind of earthly The
mis- to secure means for the rapid accumulation
of intelligence at the same time she is dispens-
ing the blessings of peace, order, justice, and
all salutary public virtues among her citizens
May she always use her advantages with the
same discreet and far-seeing wisdom.
The Museum derives its resources from sew
eral distinct parties, though chiefly from the
State. Professor Agassizs collection of OBJ
jects in natural history, the value of which can
not be easily estimated, is its foundation. The
estate of Francis c. Gray gives a permanent
fund of $4,000 for its support and mainten-
ance, which sum is to be in the care of fac
ulty provided for by the bequest. The State
appropriates 100000, and private citizens
$4,000 more, which sums are to be paid over
to an incorporated board of trustees and
finally, Harvard College gives five acres of
land in the city of Cambridge. To harmo-
nize and consolidate these separate and dis
tinct interests, was task of great delicacy,
and involved several questions of grave i'm
portance, all of which have been happily
solved. The committee of the trustees, on
the part of the State, consisted, we learn from
the Advertiser, of Governor Banks, Chief
Justice Shaw, Hon. George S. Boutwell, and
William Gray They were generously met
by the corporation of Harvard College, and
afteymuch deliberation, united upon equal ar
IS of agreement, drawn up by Chief Justice
,,aw, for the government, occupation, care,
l2d management of the institution.
). Under the agreement, the trustees are to be
vested with the whole PROPERTY of the Mu-
scum; the two corporations-the trustees and
the College-retain control of the funds in
fheir hands, according to their respective
trusts the trustees erect the buildings; the
Lawrence Professor of Zoology in the Scienti-
fc School of Harvard University is to be the
scientific head of the institution, whose duty
it is, among other things, to give lectures and
instruction to regular classes of students under
his care, to classes of teachers of the public
schools, and to classes of pupils in the Normal
schools, in the Commonwealth, and to such
special classes of students and persons DESTROYS
of ayaiing themselves of his instructions and
of the advantages of the Museum, as he may
receive or invite for those purposes; and such
arrangements are to be made with view to
secure to the public the freest enjoyment of,
and access to, the Museum, consistently with
its use for scientific and educational purposes.
The land on which the Museum is to be
built is opposite Divinity Hall, on the west
side of the avenue. 1t is contemplated to build
ultimately, structure $50 feet in length and
so feet in width, with wings at each end 200
by 60. For the present, however, only one
wing will be built, which will afford ample
room for immediate uses and will cost consid-
erably less than the amount of the funds now
the ground will be broken without delay, and
that Prof. Agassiz will soon leave for Europe,
to make suitable purchases for the Museum.