關於About
蒐藏自然：
臺北帝大時期自然史研究藏品選粹
A Glimpse through the Natural History Collections
from the Taihoku Imperial University Period
臺灣有豐富多元的地景資源，孕育出獨特的生物多樣性，也吸引早期住民移居和各方自然探索者來到此地。不管是19世紀來臺的西方或是後續的日本學者，莫不驚豔於蕞薾小島上的繽紛生態，而留下可觀的記錄和自然史標本。本展覽自國立臺灣大學的博物館群中，精選所典藏臺北帝國大學時期自然史相關標本文物，希冀能以師生研究所「蒐」，和校內機構典「藏」的展示，帶領大家一窺20世紀初期的臺灣自然史研究樣貌。
The diverse landscape in Taiwan nourishes extraordinary biodiversity, which attracted early settlers and natural explorers from various places. The westerners in the 19th century and the succeeding Japanese scholars were all astonished by the diverse ecology of this small island and left a tremendous amount of records and collections. This exhibition showcases the collection of specimens, documents, and artifacts of natural history research from National Taiwan University Museums, focusing on the period of Taihoku Imperial University. By exhibiting the collection activities by the professors and students of the university and the archiving activities in the university museums, we hope to demonstrate the facets of natural history research in early-20th-century Taiwan.
什麼是自然史和自然史博物館？
What is natural history and natural history museums?
自然史是對於自然世界中的觀察與記錄，研究生物與其環境間，包含地質、水文等各種生態和互動。
自然史研究所收集對象包含動物、植物、真菌等各類生物，以及礦物化石等。
自然史博物館蒐藏人類在自然研究中所接觸的各種相關物件，包含各種動物、植物、礦物化石標本或活體。在理解其系統分類與演化歷史的過程中，體現自然運作的規律，並以各種展示手法來傳遞科學資訊與大眾。
Natural history is the observation and description of the world, and the study of the ecology and interactions between organisms and the geological and hydrological environment.
The targets of natural history collections include animals, plants, fungi, as well as minerals and fossils.
The collections of natural history museums involve the study items in nature, such as specimens of animals, plants, fossils, and minerals, or the living organisms. By uncovering the systematics and the evolutionary history of nature’s law, it can provide public communication of scientific concepts through various exhibitions.
圖｜英國自然史博物館藏鼠刺標本
本件標本為奧德漢1864年3-4月間在北臺灣所採集之鼠刺標本。奧德漢是英國皇家邱園(Kew Garden)最後一位送到東亞的專職採集人，他在臺灣採集約600份標本，皆存放於邱園植物標本館。本件標本後為Camillo K. Schneider發表Itea chinensis Schneider (鼠刺)的模式標本。
臺灣的自然史研究
Natural History Study in Taiwan
臺灣的自然史研究，大抵可以日治時期為基準，依年代分為三個主要時期，1895年之前，主要的研究者為包含英、美、德等國之西方學者。1895至1945年間，則為日本學者的研究為主，1945年之後則以本國人研究為核心。
早期在臺灣的自然記錄多為民俗采風之性質，也未有文字以外的標本存留。1895年前在臺灣所採的自然史標本，有一大部份皆為英國人所採集，並存放於英國自然史博物館（Natural History Museum, London）和邱園（Kew Gardens），或其他歐美博物館。
日本在1895年確立臺灣做為殖民地開始，即派遣各類自然學者至臺灣進行調查，包含東京帝國大學的牧野富太郎、大渡忠太郎、內山富次郎等進行植物調查，動物學者多田綱輔採集鳥類等，初期博物學的探索在於自然資源利用之基礎調查與實用知識。
此後，自然史的研究者陸續來臺，包含受聘於臺灣總督府的動物學者菊池米太郎、大島正滿、崛川安巿、黑田長禮，昆蟲學者素木得一、鳥羽源藏、關嘉之助，植物學者田代安定、金平亮三，地質學者岡本要八郎等。
但在臺灣總督府博物館（今國立臺灣博物館）於1915年落成之前，幾乎大部份採集的標本都會送回日本的各大學和博物館收藏。博物館的成立讓自然史的研究有機會獨立於應用學科之外，首任館長川上瀧彌不幸在臺灣博物館落成之際遽逝，在自然史研究的推動上少了巨人的支持。1928年臺北帝國大學的成立，讓本土自然史研究重新有一個聚焦的中心與高階人才的培養環境，初期延覽素木得一、工藤祐舜、早坂一郎、平坂恭介等，皆為自然史各領域的優秀學者。
Natural history research in Taiwan can be roughly divided into three periods. Researchers were mainly Western scholars from the UK, the US, and Germany before 1895, Japanese researchers from 1895 to 1945, and local Taiwanese experts after 1945.
Early nature records in Taiwan are primarily thematized in local folk customs, with no concrete specimens passed down along with the written texts. Most of the natural history specimens before 1895 from Taiwan were collected by the British and housed in the Natural History Museum in London and the Kew Gardens, or other museums at the US and Europe.
When Japan took over Taiwan as a colony in 1895, scientists were sent to Taiwan to conduct field research, including Makino Tomitaro, Owatari Chutaro, and Uchiyama Tomijiro from Tokyo Imperial University for botanical surveys, as well as zoologist Tada Tsunasuke for collecting bird specimens. During this period, the early explorations of natural history focused on natural resource utilization and practical knowledge.
Since then, natural history researchers had come to Taiwan, most of them employed by the Government-General of Taiwan. These scholars included zoologists Kikuchi Yonetaro, Oshima Masamitsu, Horikawa Yasuichi, and Kuroda Nagamichi, entomologists Shiraki Tokuichi, Toba Genzo, and Seki Kanosuke, botanists Tashiro Antei and Kanehira Ryozo, and geologist Okamoto Yahachiro.
However, before the completion of the Taiwan Governor Museum (now renamed the National Taiwan Museum) in 1915, most of the specimens collected had been sent back to the universities and museums in Japan. The founding of the Taiwan Governor Museum provided an opportunity for natural history research to become independent of applied disciplines. Unfortunately Kawakami passed away when the museum was inaugurated. It was not until Taihoku Imperial University was established in 1928 that local natural history research came under the spotlight once again. From then on, local research on natural history gained a new perspective, with a stable academic environment to nurture talented individuals at the advanced level. The initially recruited scholars like Shiraki Tokuichi, Kudo Yushun, Hayasaka Ichiro, Hirasaka Kyosuke, et al., are all outstanding in natural history studies.