New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-10
HE AG4SSIZ .uUShUN.

IT'S MANAGEMENT TRANSFERRED TO HARVARD UNI
vFRsiTY-vALUE OF ITS PROrFRIY-How If
FOSTERS EDUCATION AND sCiENCE-THE COL
LECTION OF sPECIMEES.
rrRON An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE rRIBrNE
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, Feb. S.-l'hc changes III
The Agass!z Museum during the year just ended have
been very important as greatly Charging the heu oI us
activity. From 1855 its government had ben in the
hands of a Facuiy and Board OF Trustee. wholly indie
pendent of each ether appointed by the state; but as
bpuceforh II could hope for little aid from tie State.
and must dcp nd upon private literally, il was deemed
bestto unite s interests with Harvard University, with
which il had always been intimately connected. The
last legislature OF massachusetts was therefore asked I"
allow this transfer. The Legislature promptly granted
this pciition and The university corporations on Nay o.
iS7G formally accepted tic financial care Of the prop
merry OF the ui.,um. TGis property, wE,ch began IN the
collections mace by Prot AGassz whiea teacher IN the
Lawrence Scientific School previous to ls17 and In the
gift Of $4,000 by VIM. Gray for the care q! these col
lecions has increased to value OF over s323ooo
II consists in round numbers Of lands ana b2dGEs 70
the amount of nearly 100000 collections valued at
$50 600; state rautto Agassiz Memorial END $4,000;
permanent fund.- $lO9 900; and HUMBOLDT fund 500
The advantages Immediately derived were sipillca
on Of the cumbersome organization, making II possible
for the museum faculty to concentrate at the lnuseua
the natural history departments of Harvard University
and enabling the trdsccs Of the PEABODY Museum 81
Archaeology 10 erect an cdcc eventually 10 be connected
with the museum binding originally planned. The
faculty Of the museum still continues 10 exist and VIII
retain lie whole scientific direction Of tie institnti"n
and the OF the collections, raining It's policy,
onicc.s and expenditures. II consists AT present OF
Clarcs " Tiot esdent; Alexander 5eas ~ Curator;
Josiah d. Whitney, Secretary Johh H. Jack on ana
Theodore LYMAN. The danger 81 unnecessarily dupi-
eating tie Instruction in natural history ana the collect
ING Of material mad Tong been app Ethl' bat - ooNia,o
IN tls new arrangement All the instruction ~ natural
history at the museum has been assumed ny ire cprse
i'm exchange for the given by tie museum III the way
of collections and laboratories the museum retaining
however the general direction. TO snow We run OF
this assertion, II is stated tht tue cOSe nod' f'Vo
devoted 10 th!sdrpaTmCn d!0e IN au"lloh TO me M
derived from thesc funds thc GniIt lSs po no."
Of the salaries oI INSTRUCTORS c9hiect - M re i'vu,
while the Peabody trust provides nati"P0Iogy one "i
Tie most expensive branches OF natural History, the
menus for professor ship besides collection and BALD
I'M fund, amounting together to more Tam f%ooooG
Darn. the past year special atien Oh AaN Drch pd 10
developing the educational side Of the museum.
No feature Of the museum IS kept more prominently in
which can be- Of service. liz elegantly mounted III
tcngenty labeled series Of specimens conriany open 10
inents. aud Thousands OF visitors thrGng s Spacious
rooms. one of the ideas which the elder Asas'iz was
particularly DESTROYS of carry nZ out was the formation
OF synOptlc or "synGotic cohccilOi rs NC termed H.
where, IN single r91n shond ne GslaJSu - pee " e
whole animal Kingdom arranged III their proper ftia-
tons TO auohor-that Is, III men natural caSsl9'-
tiun-aud each group shown in lis entirety IRON ts
earliest appearance the fOssiihcariDg rocks to it,
highest development ~ present. lhIs scheme d's lot
REQUIRE space as one Wonid thlhh, G inc laee
room Oh the glCuId floor Immediately opposite the en-
trance is gradually being filed with such collection
Each object j. mohGted dry or IN suitably shaped Dot
lies of alcohol M its natural attitude in the best
manner uussihe; and here may mapped out be
fore him alnOs at Il single glance the whoio range oi
animal lille the globe, with all Us diverse relation
ships. ..-,
Da idea OF The for the present rather toward
carefully caring for its horde Of specimens ana WORKING
them up within its walls, by loan to specialists than
toward any considerable increase OF material although
somewhat beng done IN tins direction as good oppor-
tuuties offer The number of ASSISTANTS employed Is
small compared with four years ago. ana me salaries are
small but each j. thoroughly III earnest about his
wOrK great deal OF work Is done, II not rapidly, at
least surely, and years progress once MADE does not
have TO be- done over again. The museum Is saving It's
strength financially aud otherwise until more favOra
bic day than the present appears III which 10 put IL.
forth but even now II has been said by the highest a
thnrity that has equal for activity and econOm
ica and thorough geological work op either side OF the
Atlantic not even excepting the British Museum or the
Jardn dcs Plantes al Paris . -
Mr. Alexander AgasslZ Is on his return from En-
Gland whittier went few weeks at the invitation
of the officers Challenger expedition 10 witness the
charge of the echnoderms sea urchns star-shes, brit
tesiars hol0hulla, and such l0fD which lie and Col
ThrodoIe LYMAN commissioned Ia study and report
mon THIS portion OF the Challengers collections
has already In part arrived AT Cambridge and MI Agas-
az viii probably rciuq nish his intended journey OF eA-
uloraon 10 Mexico Peru, 10 devote his attention I'M
nediaey 10 these prickly strangers from the DptOn Oh
lie deepest seas reached by natraiists dWI OF
dredg. or even by the ayigatOrs sOundingle lead.
---------@
"Wlat is going on i'll the next room,
waiter ~ asked a stad committee man at leading hotel
the other night. They're havin little game there,
Sir responded the attendant ana Just then somebody
4 IN ~ "a