Abstract
Two guides to the palaeontological collections of the British Museum (Natural History) have recently been issued. One of them, the “Guide to the Fossil Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians”, claims to be “rather the first edition of a new Guide than a new edition of the old”, while the other, the “Guide to the Fossil Mammals”, is a reprint “altered and corrected where necessary” (London: British Museum (Natural History), 1s. each). Both guides call for criticism. In the first place it is a little difficult to know to what class of reader they are addressed. If for the serious student of palaeontology, they are not sufficiently full and contain some rather serious errors, while to the visitor who only wishes to take an intelligent interest and have a little of the veil lifted, they are likely to be wellnigh unintelligible. This difficulty might perhaps be overcome by the use of material already to hand. In 1923 there was published a guide to the exhibition galleries of geology and palseontology, which, rewritten if necessary and with a few well-chosen illustrations, would serve the general public admirably and might be of use to the more elementary of the students. It may also be suggested that a series of separate guides, or guide leaflets, such as are to be found issued by the American Museum of Natural History, would serve a useful purpose. In fact, this plan is already partially in operation in the Natural History Museum. There is a “Guide to the Fossil Remains of Man”, published in 1915 at a price of fourpence and a guide to the “Elephants (Recent and Fossil)” published as a second edition in 1922 for a shilling, both very satisfactory. Detailed criticism of the two guides under notice is out of place here, but it may be remarked that neither gives a clear idea of the evolution or classification of groups, while the purpose of some of the illustrations is obscure. It is to be hoped that the authorities will consider not a re-publication from time to time of matter which has served its purpose and has in course of time become obsolete, but an entire replanning and rewriting of guides to the national collections to meet the two distinct calls made on them, by the student and by the general public.
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Guide Books and Museums. Nature 134, 57 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/134057a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/134057a0