One other point in connection with Sir William’s administration may be noticed. Ever since its establishment the hall and public exhibition galleries of the Natural History Museum had been guarded during exhibition hours by members of the Metropolitan Police—an arrangement which involved a very large expense to the country. Flower suggested that, provided two or three police sergeants and constables were detailed for special duty, the general work of guarding the collections could be equally well done by members of the Corps of Commissionaires, thereby not only effecting a considerable financial saving, but likewise a fresh area of employment for a very deserving class of the community. This arrangement, which was found to work smoothly and satisfactorily, has remained in force ever since. It may be added that the opening of the museum for a limited number of hours on Sunday afternoons commenced during Flower’s tenure of office; this arrangement being common to other institutions of a like nature. At the special recommendation of the Trustees, the Treasury, when Sir William reached the age for retirement, according to Civil Service rules, extended his term of office for three years. A lengthened period of physical weakness and prostration rendered it, however, impossible for Flower to avail himself of the whole of this extension, and in July 1898 the state of his health was such that he felt himself compelled to send in his resignation. When this resignation was accepted by the Standing Committee of the Trustees of the Museum, a special Minute, signed by Lord Dillon, gave expression to the regret felt by that body and the Trustees generally at the retirement of Sir William, to whom every compliment was paid as a worthy successor of Sir Richard Owen, and as one who had done so much towards the reorganisation of a museum pre-eminent amongst institutions of its kind. To enter upon the relations of Flower to his subordinates in the Museum is treading upon somewhat delicate ground; it may be safely affirmed, however, that to those who were in full sympathy and accord with his way of looking at things and his schemes for the general advancement and improvement of the institution under his charge, no truer friend or kinder master could possibly have been found. Owing to the fact that the time of the permanent officials of the museum is for the most part fully occupied in working out the store collections, and registering and, when necessary, describing new acquisitions, Sir William soon found that he had not sufficient skilled labour at his disposal wherewith to carry out the installation of the Index Museum and his meditated improvements in the exhibition series. Accordingly he obtained the assent of the Treasury to employ the services of a few scientific men not on the staff of the museum for these purposes; an arrangement which has been continued under his successor.