1870.] NAURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 211 



crowned with uscftil and beneficial results, was their determination 

 to avail themselves of an offer made them by their esteemed 

 curator, Mr. J. F. Whiteaves, to place his private collection of 

 shells and fossils in the Society's museum, in such a way as to be 

 accessible to students and visitors, on the very liberal conditions 

 that the collection be kept separate — that the Society find cabinets, 

 &c., for its reception, and insure the collection, Mr. Whiteaves 

 himself undertaking to mount and label the specimens. In avail- 

 ing themselves of such an offer, and voting the amount required to 

 carry out its conditions, the Society was merely doing what other 

 Societies in the mother country have done before them, and in 

 this way : Possessors of a large and valuable collection which they 

 were unable or unwilling to part with entirely, and still desired 

 that the votaries of science generally should benefit by, would 

 offer to deposit, uuder certain restriction, their collection in the 

 museum of a society such as ours, which not having present means 

 to acquire a valuable collection, would only be too glad to avail 

 themselves of such an offer, and thus the cause of science would 

 become well served. Now, although Mr. Whiteaves deposits his 

 collection in this way, and retains the right of withdrawin"- it 

 after notice be given to that effect, yet I am sure I do but echo 

 the general opinion that the Society is greatly indebted to that 

 gentleman for his liberal and considerate offer, and indulge the 

 hope that ultimately both Mr. Whiteaves and the Society will 

 find the way of securing his unusually valuable and varied collec- 

 tion as a permanent addendum to the Society's Museum. 



Another of the members' efforts in the good cause calling for 

 notice on this occasion, was the originating of the Montreal Micro- 

 scopic Club. Although formed in 1868, this Club has not 

 hitherto received the notice at our annual retrospects of work 

 done, which I think it deserves. Founded for the promotion of 

 microscopic knowledge among its members, by regular meetings 

 for practical microscopic work, and for the interchange of ideas 

 and experiences on microscopical subjects, it has done good and 

 useful work at its fortnightly meetings, which are eminently of a 

 social character, and are held during the winter season. I need 

 scarcely say here how very acceptable we find the presence of our 

 microscopic-brigade, with their costly, improved instruments and 

 beautifully prepared specimens, at our annual conversazione, and 

 how pleasant we regard the evidences of their useful investigations 

 not merely on those occasions, but in the pages of the Society's 



