SCIENCE IN Rupert's land. 339 



observers. For what we are doing now, we need only say that year 

 after year we find in the Reports of the Smithsonian Institutiou 

 •cknowledgments of valuable contributions from Governor Mactavish ; 

 and other Societies and individuals in Britain and Canada are also in- 

 debted for specimens to this indefatigable collector. Mr. Donald 

 Gunn, a well known collector and observer ; Mr. Bernard Ross, 

 whose name is well known in Britain and Canada ; Mr. Ross the well 

 known Historian of the Colony ; Mr. Bannatyne, who made valuable 

 collections for Professor Agassiz, and many others may in like manner 

 be referred to. And now, what may we do ? First, we have advan- 

 tages for collecting possessed by no other Society of a like character. 

 The most unscientific among us while travelling could note down the 

 appearance of the country, the character of the soil, the prevailing 

 timber trees, the width, depth, and course of the rivers ; could chip 

 o£F pieces of the rock, pick up fossils, press a plant, or preserve a skin, 

 and thus make valuable contributions to our Institute. As to the in- 

 dustry of those accustomed to collect, I need only direct your attention 

 to the table before us, where you will notice specimens from the 

 neighbourhood of the Rocky Mountains, from the north shore of 

 Lake Superior, from the Missouri River, from the Athabasca, Great 

 Slave Lake, Mackenzie River, and even from the shores of the Icy Sea. 

 Those beautiful birds are from the Ornithological collections of Mr. 

 Bannatyne ; the fossils from the Geological collection of the Ven. 

 Archdeacon Hunter, procured by himself during his residence near 

 the Arctic Circle ; others from Lake Superior, kindly given by the 

 Lord Bishop ; the Entomological specimens are from Governor Mac- 

 tavish ; and the collection of curiosities are samples of the workman- 

 ship of the Esquimaux, Chippewyans, Sioux, and other Indian tribes ; 

 and I am encouraged when I see those indefatigable collectors here 

 to-day, willing not only to give their valuable collections to the mu- 

 seum, but to become active working members of this Institute, and 

 to give us from time to time the results of their observation and re- 

 search." 



It is impossible to look upon the foundation of such an Institute, 

 ■without feeling that here, on the remote confines of civilization, we 

 witness the establishment of an outpost of science, from whence we 

 may look for returns of the highest interest and value. It is situated 

 in the very midst of the diverse Indian tribes of the North West, still 



