70 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. II. 



READ AT MEETINGS OF SECTIONS. 



Biological Section 15 



Geological and Mining Section 4 



Historical Section 6 



Total 25 



LIBRARIAN'S REPORT. 

 (Session 1890-91.) 

 To the President a7id Conncil of the Canadian Institute : — 

 Gentlemen, — Your Librarian begs leave to report as follows : — 

 The accessions to the library have been — 



I, Donations 390 



II. Exchanges 3,700 



Of the above donations 151 were presented by Mrs. Seidler, and 61 

 by the late Hugh Wilson, Esq. The members are to be congratulated 

 on this evidence of the interest taken in the Institute by the citizens of 

 Toronto. 



With reference to the exchanges, your Librarian would urge upon the 

 Council the importance of this department of the Institute's work. In 

 the very able address presented to the Institute by its then President, 

 Prof. Loudon, in 1873, the great value of such scientific bodies was shown 

 to be the conservation of energy that resulted from them, as they prevented 

 individual workers from wasting time and strength in doing work that 

 had already been done, besides affording our own workers access to the 

 publications of similar bodies throughout the world. The praiseworthy 

 eftorts and eager interest of our Assistant Librarian in its extension have 

 brought our list of exchanges up to its present magnitude, and with the 

 assistance of the Council there is no reason for us to stop here. If we 

 look at the cost we shall find that this magnificent collection of scientific 

 publications, already the finest with perhaps one exception in Canada, 

 while one of our most valuable assets, has been purchased by the 

 exchange of our own Transactions ; in other words, by the increase of 

 our reputation at home and abroad. Were the scientific spirit lacking, a 

 sense of corporate, civic, and national pride should urge us to extend the 

 knowledge of the important work being done by our members. Toronto 

 is becoming one of the scientific centres of the New World, and with the 



