I04 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 



and as far as I know this is the first time that the object and purpose 

 has been discussed, but it is not too late. 



Instead of a general miscellaneous collection of all kinds of 

 curiosities thrown indiscriminately together as we find in the old 

 fashioned country or city museums. I suggest that we confine our 

 endeavors to two distinct objects, and two only (well, so that we have 

 not to throw any of our specimens away, say three), resolutely re- 

 fusing to mix them together or destroy the value of either by intro- 

 ducing into them specimens which however precious or interesting 

 in themselves would detract from or interfere with the special les- 

 sons to be derived from either of these two or three series. 



The one should be a local collection, in which the natural his- 

 tory, the various animals, comprehending insects, birds, etc., the 

 wild flowers, the fossils, and the minerals of a certain definite area, 

 of which Hamilton would be the centre, would be so exhibited, ar- 

 ranged and named, that any one could identify every creature and 

 plant he might chance to meet with in his walks. We have only to 

 fix our boundary and then the object becomes absolutely definite 

 and limited. Everything not occurring in a state of nature within 

 that boundary should be rigorously excluded. We have already, as 

 I have before stated, made a good beginning with the native plants, 

 and our geological treasures already brought together will furnish a 

 very good representation of our local rocks and fossils. I have no 

 doubt our very good friend, Mr. Mcllwraith, would permit us to 

 become his debtor once more for a few duplicate specimens as a 

 nucleus for a local ornithological collection. For entomology we 

 could get a few points from our old and kind friend Mr. Moffatt. 

 The fresh water and land shells of the district would be interesting, 

 and as Mr. Hanham, an old member of our Association once showed, 

 the district is especially rich in these, for he and Mr. George Leslie 

 in a few short seasons actually added several shells not before cata- 

 logued as being found in Canada. 



Surely among the membership of this Association we have 

 young men with enthusiasm enough and tastes to prompt them to 

 take a hold of this really valuable work, one of the most important 

 we can take up and accomplish. 



With painstaking collecting, and the necessary investigating, 

 and a moderate amount of curatorial work continuously applied as 



