1864.] NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 309 



have been prepared. The series of names printed bv the Society 

 some years ago is out of date, and it is proposed to substitute for 

 them the labels issued by the Smithsonian Institute. The present 

 arrangement of the species in small cases, and these not of uniform 

 size, causes a great waste of room. "Were each specimen mounted 

 on a proper separate stand, as is usually done in large museums, 

 the collection might be arrang< d in a much more accurate scientific 

 order. We have now about 210 species of Canadian birds, but 

 several species are wanting to complete our local series. A collec- 

 tion of the esffs of our local birds has been made ; the series has 

 been named and arranged in a glass case, with a covering of green 

 baize, to prevent the injurious effects of light on the specimens. 

 We have no w the eggs of some fifty Canadian species carefully 

 identified ; and friends at Quebec have kindly promised to add 

 largely to this branch of our collection during the summer. The 

 reptiles have been arranged and named as far as our cases would 

 admit, with the exception of several exotic snakes. Three cases 

 of Canadian fi shes have also been prepared by Mr. Hunter, con- 

 taining some thirty-one species: these I have named and labelled. 

 Two cases of miscellaneous fishes have also been prepared, and 

 have been named so far as the limited access to proper books of 

 reference in Canada will admit. Our collection of Canadian fishes 

 is still very imperfect, particularly as regards the marine fishes of 

 the gulf, which are almost unrepresented in the museum. 



In the invertebrate section of the animal kingdom progress has 

 been made as far as our material would admit. We have now 

 25 cases of shells, all carefully arranged and named. Of species 

 purely Canadian we have nearly 200. Five cases are devoted to the 

 illustration of the land and fresh water shells of the United States, 

 and to the marine shells of the east and west coasts of the same 

 country. The general series occupies thirteen large cases. This 

 portion of our collection has been considerably more than doubled 

 during the past fourteen months. The crustaceans, barnacles, sea- 

 urchins, corals, and sponges have been named as far as possible, 

 and arranged in one large case at the end of the gallery. Large 

 donations of insects have been made to the Society, by Mr. Saun- 

 ders and Mr. J. Ferrier ; and a cabinet to hold all our specimens 

 has been made at a cost of some $37. I am waiting for the arrival 

 of some proper cork from England for the lining of the drawers, 

 to work at this important branch of our collection. 



I would call special attention to the large series of rocks and 



