24 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



course, to obtain examples of the fauna of other lands, but it will be 

 altogether an acceptable thing, if some of our friends would favor 

 us with specimens of such birds and animals as are inhabitants of 

 our own country. I may mention that the Association has not yet 

 seen its way to the employment of a taxidermist. I hope I may be par- 

 doned if I say that it seems to me, that the ignorance on the part of 

 Canadians of the fauna of our own country is very great, and I am 

 sure that a knowledge, more especially of our birds, would be very 

 interesting and most useful. No doubt there are books on Amer- 

 ican ornithology, in which we might acquire all the knowledge we 

 wish for, if we could afford to buy them, and had time to read 

 them, but our society is intended especially for the use of busy men- 

 who have not time to cast their eyes over a large expanse of litera- 

 ture, but who hoping that one here and one there may be able to 

 concentrate his mind upon, and more or less master, one and 

 another subject, have formed themselves into a co-operative com- 

 pany, so to speak, for the diffusion amongst us all of such know- 

 ledge as each may have succeeded in acquiring. It would be of 

 very great service, both to ourselves and to the community, if a 

 series of papers were given on the "Animated Nature of Canada," 

 and the interest of such papers would be to a very great degree en- 

 hanced, if when the paper was read, a stuffed specimen of the crea- 

 ture described could be taken from our shelves for illustration. It 

 is necessary for human nature, if you would instruct it well, that 

 there should be objective as well as subjective teaching. The eye is 

 as useful an avenue, whereby to reach the mind, as the ear, 

 and the learner finds it not only easy, but pleasant for him to give 

 his attention when both e)e and ear are in use. Let our friends 

 then procure for us specimens of such birds as visit Canada, 

 and of such animals, of convenient bulk of course, as permanently 

 live here. The habits of those birds and animals are known only to 

 a few. It may be m the power of this society to promote amongst us 

 a moral and intellectual enjoyment, founded upon our sympathy with 

 the humbler creatures around us, a sympathy which can only be ob- 

 tained by an acquaintance with their tastes, their enjoyments, and 

 their sufferings. Perhaps, also, some learned lecturer may arise in 

 the midst of us, who shall be able to say something on the useful- 

 ness of the sparrow, and comfort our community a little with refer- 



