IS ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



James Barnston, whose untimely death early in the spring of 1358 

 brought its short but active career to an abrupt termination.^ 



One of the very few mementoes of the societj^ is to be found in an 

 occasional copy of the " Objects and Constitution of the Botanical Society 

 of Montreal," issued in small pamphlet form. From this we learn that 

 although the society was instituted in 1855, it was nearly a year later 

 before a constitution was adojîted. Under it, Principal (now Sir AVilliam; 

 Dawson was the first and probably the only president, the other offices 

 being filled by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, John Gr. Barnston, Dr. James Barnston, 



Eev. A. F. Kemp, David A. Poe, George Shepherd and Bergholts. 



The society left little record of its work. Two papers read before it by 

 George Barnston and Eev. A. F. Kemp appear to summarise the full 

 extent of its work in this direction.^ As indicated by the constitution, 

 however, one object of the society was the building up of "a complete 

 herbarium of the native plants of Canada, and the collection of the 

 various vegetable products of the country." This object appears to have 

 been realized only with respect to the first part, and the few hundred 

 plants thus brought together were deposited in the museum of the 

 Natural History Society of Montreal, where they may now be found. 



Kingston. 



'■ Towards the latter end of November, 1860, a proposal was made to 

 organize a botanical society. There being no such institution in opera- 

 tion in Canada, it was thought that much benefit might result from its 

 establishment." Such are the terms in which a description of the origin 

 of the second botanical society to be founded in Canada, finds its intro- 

 duction. The Botanical Society of Canada, having its headquarters at 

 Queen's College, Kingston, owed its origin to the energ}^ and abilit}^ of 

 the late Dr. George Lawson, who was at that time professor of botany at 

 Queen's, and who was destined at a later date to found the Botanical 

 Club of Canada. In consequence of wholly unforeseen circumstances 

 which involved the removal of Dr. Lawson to Halifax, the society came 

 to an abrupt termination within one year. Nevertheless, in the very 

 short period of its existence, it displayed great vigour and gave promise of 

 a most useful career. It published one volume of Annals of 108 pages, 

 fi'om the contents of which we observe that the society was not only able 

 to collect much valuable material, but that it had enlisted the sympathy 

 and active co-operation of a large number of the leading botanists of 

 Europe and America. 



1 Can. Nat. III. 224. Can. Nat., New Ser., IX. 187. 

 •^ Can. Nat. II. 12, 145. 



