30 PROTECTION OF PLANTS — 1924-25 



The Rector, Mgr Hamel, took much interest in his studies and would 

 periodically come and chat with him, observe his progrees and encourage him. 

 Abbe Lav( rdiere, just before be died, strongly recommended that the authori- 

 ties of the Seminary should held young Dionne and facilitate his studies by 

 giving him the necessary freedom of action. 



About 1867, he attended an evening course of in truction given by Mr. 

 Cloutier at the old Normal School. He found it difficult at first to obtain 

 permission, as this class ended too late in the evening to allow him to return to the 

 the Seminary building before the closing of the doors at 8.45 p.m. Far from 

 being discouraged by the Proctor's refusals he submitted his request to the 

 Rector, Abbe (later Cardinal) Taschereau, who not only granted his wish, but 

 gave orders that a door should be left open every night until his return. The 

 following 5'ear he was able to continue his evening course at the Brother's Aca- 

 demy, under the direction of Abbe (later Mgr) Gauvreau. 



On May 6, 1876, he married Marie Emilie Pelletier. 



In 1882 he was appointed Curator of the Museum of Laval University 

 At that date the Museum contained but a small fraction of its present wealth, 

 and most of the specimens in it were neither named nor classified . Mr. Dionne' 

 first ambition was to establish order. Single-h nded, he accomplished this task 

 so well that it will always remain the most worthy monument to this memory; a 

 monument full of precious lessons for the information of generations to come. 

 The board of directors of that period had truly made a happy choice in appoint- 

 ing j\Ir. Dionne as Curator. 



All of Mr. Dionne's outings were devoted to collecting; he would visit the 

 woods in the vicinity of Quebec, such as those at Sillery, Charlesbourg, and 

 around Chateau Bigot, as well as the shores at St. Denis, Riviere Quelle, and 

 Chateau Richer. Unfortunately, the time at his disposal was very Umited and 

 hoHdays were few. A determination such as his, coupled with a decided love 

 of his work, alone explains his persistance in following his favorite studies not- 

 withstanding the difficulties imposed bj^ chance and circirmstances. "In spite 

 of that", he would say, a short time before his death, "if I were to start all over 

 again, and If I saw in advance all the obstacles which I had to conquer. I 

 would not hesitate to choose the same path". 



In 1889 he collected at St. Denis specimens of the Acadian Sharp-tailed 

 Sparrow (Passerhcrhnlus nehoni suhvirgatus) , which had recently been described 

 by Dr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr., of New York, from specimens obtained in the 

 Maritime Provinces. Soon afterward Mr. Dionne published his records of this 

 bird in his Catalogue annoie des oiseaux de la Province de Quebec. Some time 

 later Dr. Dwight, who had read this pubhcation, sought for the Sparrow in 

 question in various marshes along the St. Lawrence (but not at St. Denis) but 

 without success. So he went incognito to see Mr. Dionne and questioned him 

 concerning the bird. This disclosed his identity, since no one but Dr. Dwight 

 could put such questions. Mr. Dionne's specimens were therefore shown and 



