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the prime of his manhood, a martyr, in the truest sense of the 
term, to over-incessant activities for the good of his kind, which 
have tended to exhaust the nervous energy of a physical frame 
originally not too strong. He is gone just when, amidst the calm 
and beauty of nature, and the sweeter calm of a happy home circle, 
life was opening out to him a settled and peaceful prospect of 
many years service in ministering to the highest spiritual wants of 
those who surrounded him. He is gone! But in the brighter days 
which are yet to dawn, his name will ever be linked with the 
history of the rise and progress of the first organized system of 
Scientific and Literary culture in our native county. In view of 
the future well-being of the Affiliated Associations, it is to be 
earnestly hoped that another gentleman may soon be found to 
carry on our late Secretary’s work ; but it will, without doubt, be 
difficult to replace him by one in whose individuality shall be 
blended so much love, enthusiasm, and energy for the cause of 
science and humanity, as were manifest in the life and character of 
our much-lamented co-worker, the Rev, Mr. Ward. 
Museum REPporRT. 
A first report generally marks the springing into life of a new 
institution. Such, however, is not the case with our Museum, 
which dates almost from the first commencement of the Society. 
At our earlier meetings, objects of interest were frequently 
exhibited and explained. Many of these were afterwards presented 
to the Society, and thus laid the foundation of the collection we 
now possess. 
Amongst the earlier donors were Dr. Jones of Aspatria, who 
presented a series of specimens from the coal measures of Aspatria; 
the late Mrs. Pratten of Haile, to whom we are indebted for a very 
valuable collection of British plants, and for a cabinet of British 
insects—probably the most perfect that is in the possession of any 
similar society. Mr. G. Harrison presented a number of minerals 
collected and named by himself; and the late Mr. Rooke, who 
was known to most of us as an energetic and capable field 
naturalist, gave us a large collection of shells, especially illustrating 
the Molluscan Fauna of the neighbourhood, and first endeavoured 
to arrange and classify the collection. 
