REFERRING to the leading article in NATURE of February 20 under this title, a correspondent writes as follows: “As some readers may not be familiar with the names given to certain buildings in Oxford, it may be helpful to state that the ‘Ashmolean Museum’ now means the Museum of Art and Archaeology, chiefly classical, established in Beaumont Street in 1890, whereas the ‘Museum of the History of Science’ means the ancient scientific collections in the Old Ashmolean Building, which was the only science museum from 1683 until 1860. In this building Ashmole's old museum room is now full to overflowing of historic instruments and specimens; and money is needed for its extension. The changes contemplated in the various scientific departments of the University make it more than ever necessary to provide for the preservation of things of historic value that might otherwise be scrapped”.

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/139365a0

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