Year: 1876

There is probably no large city in the


civilized world where such scientific des.


tituton prevails as in New York. How.


ever much the people may thirst for


knowledge, there are no museums or col.


lccti0ns where they can go at all times to


crafty their curiosity or add too their


information. The want, so far MS Il study


Of Natural History is concerned, is to bc


in measure overcome by the opening of


the new Museum in the Central Park,


but as this collection is to be closed ON


Sundays, it can hardly be said to DO


available to then mass of our citizens.


The Commissioners Of the Central Park


have had presented to them from time to


time a variety Of birds and animals, and


these are kept in temporary houses, but


nothing in the nature of geological


garden exists, and the animals look


forlorn and miserable, quite in harmony


with their cheap surroundings. That


New York should have no geological


collection, suitably housed and under


competent administration, with ample


space and every provisions for the COM


fort and proper display Of the animals,
is m extraordinary fact to be pub.


lished in our Centennial Year. There is


nothing to which everybody takes more


instlnctivcly and with greater pleasure


than to menagerie. To children it is
perfect paradise, and to grown people an


endless source of amusement. Even the
"moral drama which is sometimes in
tiicted upon much enduring public has
fewer attractions, and would scarcely
draw good audience without the aid of
the live animals TO act as IA more power
ful magnet. The geological collection in
the Central Park, although scarcely a
recognized feature in the eyes of the com
mlssioners, and in fact, being looked
upon as a literal live elephant on their
hands, is nevertheless, made the most Of
by its director, Mr.. Conkling, and we
learn from the report made by him to the
Commissioners that the number of visit
ors to the scanty collection is greater
than Is ever seen ut the famous gardens
of London or Paris. Thousands OF peo-
pie visit the small area set apart for the
animals every day in the Summer season,
and it has been after witnessing the graft
tcahon expressed by these people that
some of our more enlightened citizens
have frequently discussed the propriety
of founding geological garden worthy
of the metropolis and corresponding to
the great demand ior such place of rec
Teation and instruction. Still nothing
has ever come of any of these projects,
and our desttution in this particular re-
mains the same. 1t is to he hoped that
another year Will not be allowed to pass
without decided steps beng taken to cs.
tabIish garden on enlightened principles
and especially to have it open on Sundays,
when the poor people and their families
can have the opportunity for some inno'
cent relaxation from the everlasting cares
and lahOrs Of the week. We need not
however, go so high uptown as the Park
to find illustrations of the scientific dcsti-
tuition that prevails in our city it is only
necessary to make search tor the local
habtations ana the headquarters of tho
various societies and organizations which
meet to discuss abstruse questions of SCI
encc or further some important public
good, to learn that scarcely any uf them
have any roofs over their heads which
they can call their own, or can keep down
their expenses within their incomes.
Take, for illustration, the Lyceum oil
Natural History, nov changed in name
to the New York Academy Of sciences.
Nearly every man Of science in the city
belongs this institution. 1t publishes
learned proceedings and carries on ex-
changes with all of the scientific bodies
of the globe, and its library is one of the
most valuable in the city; yet this acad-
emy has no hall of its own'in which to
store its collections and libraries, and IT
can with difficulty raise the necessary III
come to pay expenses. The Geographical
Society, which few years ago was turned