100 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



suitable resting-place for it could be found. Being the largest if 

 not the only incorporated society in the state, the Portland 

 Society of Natural History feels a peculiar interest in so fine a 

 representative collection as your own of Maine zoology. 



I am instructed by our president to inquire whether we may 

 hope to secure this collection, provided that the price at which 

 you value it is not beyond our means ; also, if it is indeed to 

 be sold, to request you to state the amount you wish to receive 

 for it. 



Several letters from Mr. Brown have been found 

 among Mr. Boardman's MSS., but no formal action was 

 ever taken by the Portland society for the purchase of 

 the collection so far as appears from papers that have 

 been accessible. 



In the year 1893, when plans for the erection of the 

 public library building in Calais were being considered, 

 Mr. Boardman made a free tender of his entire collection 

 to the trustees of the library in behalf of the city, if they 

 would make the building sufficiently large — by the 

 addition of a second story where a hall could be provided 

 for the housing of the collection, or by some other 

 enlargement which would give it sufficient accommoda- 

 tion. The answer of the trustees was that they had 

 their plans, contracts and money for the erection of the 

 building so arranged that they could not well make the 

 necessary changes which would be needed for the suit- 

 able display of the collection ; they did not know where 

 to obtain the additional funds that would be required to 

 erect the larger building and so the proffered offer was 

 not accepted. About this time it was more than half 

 intimated that one of the wealthy residents of Calais or 

 St. Stephen had it in mind to erect a handsome build- 

 ing in the public park of Calais, which is opposite Mr. 



