1-C Transactions. 



lith of January, 1889. 



At a meeting uf the Council held on this date, the Secretary 

 submitted the following letter from the Town Clerk of Dumfries : 



Town Clerk's Office, Dumfries, 

 ^2d January, 18S9. 

 Robert Barbour, Esq., 

 Secretary, Dumfries and Galloway Natural 

 History and Antiquarian Society. 

 Dear Sir, 



I enclose excerpt from tlie will of the late 

 Mr William Baxter, from which you will observe that he has bequeathed 

 certain specimens illustrative of Natural History to the Town Council of 

 Dumfries, with power to the Council to allow said specimens to remain 

 for such time as they see fit in the hands of any Geological or Natural 

 History Society locally connected with the burgh. The matter has been 

 considered by the Provost's Committee, and they are disposed to recom- 

 mend the Council to place the specimens in the custody of the Dumfries 

 and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, if the Society 

 will undertake such custody, but, first of all, it is desirable that the 

 articles be inspected, and I am instructed to enquire whether the Council 

 of your Society will depute' one of its members to accompany Provost 

 Scott to Glasgow to make the inspection. From a letter from the agents 

 of Mr Baxter's Trustees, I find that it is desirable that the inspection 

 should be made on an early day. 



Yours truly, 



John Grierson, Town Clerk. 



The following is the extract from Mr Baxter's Will : 



Thirdly, My geological and other specimens illustrative of Natural 

 History shall be made over to the Magistrates and Town Council of the 

 Burgh of Dumfries in trust for the community thereof, and shall be 

 placed or exhibited by the said Magistrates and Town Council in a 

 Public Museum or other suitable jjremises in the town, conveniently 

 situated and readily accessible to the community, but expressly excepting 

 and excluding the establishment known as the " Old Windmill " in or 

 near Dumfries, with power to the Town Council to allow the said 

 specimens to remain for such time as they see fit (subject to the after- 

 mentioned stipulation in case of a free library being founded) in the 

 hands of any Geological or Natural History Society locally connected 

 with the said burgh, for the purpose of assisting the Society 

 in illustrating Geology or Natural History or promoting the knowledge 

 thereof. To the said Magistrates and Town Council the sum of Fifty 

 Pounds sterling towards founding a Free Library for the said Burgh of 

 Dumfries, in the event of the same not being founded prior to my death, 

 providing also that the specimens and others before referred to and this 



