Abstract
THE manifold relations of zoological science to the various fish industries are, on the whole, fairly well illustrated in the Kensington Exhibition if we take together into consideration all the exhibits of foreign countries, of these islands, and of British colonies. Considered alone, however, the British department is remarkable for the extreme paucity and insignificance of exhibits having any scientific value. This is due to the fact that no attempt was made by those who organised the exhibition to obtain scientific advice and direction, so as to enable them to make application to the individuals or museums possessing objects illustrating the scientific aspects of fish and fisheries, and that no individual with authority and responsibility has attempted to bring together that class of objects—which are abundant enough in both private and public collections in England, and form, on the contrary, a large portion of the exhibits of foreign countries. Thus under the direction of a properly-trained zoologist—Prof. Spencer Baird—the Smithsonian Institute has been able to form a collection which is sent over to this country by the American Government as the official representative collection. It is not an exaggeration to say that this collection, both on account of the range and variety of its objects and the instructive way in which they have been disposed and treated by the American Commissioner, Mr. Brown Goode, has been the admiration of all visitors. Similarly the Swedish authorities have intrusted Prof. Smidt with the duty of bringing together objects illustrating the zoological aspect of fish and fisheries in Sweden. Collections from the museums of Gothenburg and Stockholm and from eminent Swedish zoologists are consequently exhibited in the Swedish department. So also in the case of the Netherlands, of British India, and of New South Wales, we find the well-known naturalists, Prof. Hubrecht, Dr. Francis Day, and Mr. Ramsay, specially charged with such responsibility.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zoology at the Fisheries Exhibition . Nature 28, 289–291 (1883). https://doi.org/10.1038/028289a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/028289a0