THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 97 



ary dweller in our city, such a complete collection of the natural 

 objects found in our neighborhood, properly classified, named and 

 clearly labelled and openly exhibited, would not only be interesting 

 beyond conception, but would be a great aid and auxiliary to the 

 educational machinery of our city. Not only would such a collec- 

 tion, if formed on the lines which I will indicate, be a valuable ad- 

 junct to our school system, but also to our Free Library, for surely 

 the actual specimen of bird, or insect, or flower, must convey a 

 clearer and more perfect conception than the best executed illustra- 

 tion in a book possibly could do. 



The third reason that I will name for bringing this matter 

 before my fellow members to-night is, that among the many sights 

 which interested me in 1892, during my visit to Europe, none 

 pleased me more than a visit made to the new Great National Mu- 

 seum of Natural History at Kensington, London, and to a museum 

 in my native county of Perth, Scotland. In the former I saw what 

 appeared to me a perfect collection arranged on the lines on which 

 the museum of the future will always be if it is to take its place as 

 an educational factor. 



It is not necessary here to give a description of the vast build- 

 ing, or of the seemingly interminable succession of airy, light and 

 spacious galleries and rooms, and the collections from every part of 

 the world of the former named institution. Suffice it to say, that in 

 It is contained all the natural history objects removed from the 

 British Museum, as well as the collections of nearly all the learned 

 societies in London, including those of the Royal Society, the Zoo- 

 logical and Anthropological Societies, and others. 



It is in truth a National Museum, and worthy of the Great 

 Empire, at the heart and centre of which it stands. 



The other museum is a provincial one, and is in the town of 

 Perth, on the beautiful banks of the Tay. This museum has been 

 in existence as an old-time museum, or curiosity shop if you like, 

 for many years, for I remember being taken to it by my father more 

 than half a century ago : but, except a dim memory of an elephant's 

 tusk, an alligator, whose glass eyes were dim with dust, a mummy 

 case said to contain a second cousin to one of the Pharaohs, with 

 numberless rusty swords and claymores, chairs that Scottish kings 

 and nobles had sat on, with many stuffed birds and other natural 



