Natural History Societg. 235 



The Council would further notice, that, during the past year 

 the monthly meetings of the Society have been regularly held 

 and sustained with some spirit. At each meeting one hour has 

 been devoted to business, and the remainder of the evening to the 

 reading of scientific papers and to discussions on topics of natural 

 history. 



As most of these papers have been or will be published in the 

 Journal, it is unnecessary further to refer to them here. The 

 Council trust that the next year will be one of even greater 

 activity and zeal than the past. A wide field of investigation is 

 open in this province to the students of natural science. Some 

 departments have not yet been touched, and many are but partially 

 treated. This Society offers to the lovers of nature a happy sti- 

 mulant to exertion, together with the fellowship of kindred minds, 

 and a medium through which discoveries may be communicated 

 to the world. 



Report of the Curator and Librarian. 



The Curator has reason to congratulate the Society upon the 

 marked improvements in the general appearance and actual value 

 of the Collections in its Museum and Library. This will be ad- 

 judged from the following report of Mr. W. S. D'Urban, Sub- 

 Curator, whose services to the Society can now be fully appre- 

 ciated : — 



REPORT OF THE SUB-CURATOR. 



Prof. James Barnston, M.D., Curator : 



Sir, — In compliance with your request, that I would draw up 

 a short statement of the arrangements effected by me in the Mu- 

 seum of the Society during the time I had the care of the collec- 

 tions, I beg to submit the following brief summary of them. 

 ' In the first room to the left, on the second floor, I have assem- 

 bled all the Vertebrate Animals, with the exception of the Birds. 

 The Canadian Mammalia are cased separately, and are classified 

 and named. A few foreign specimens, belonging to such orders 

 as are not represented in Canada, are also cased and stand next 

 to those of this country. Such specimens as are of too great size 

 for the cases occupy the middle of the floor. This room also con- 

 tains two large cabinets of specimens illustrating Comparative 

 Anatomy, two cabinets of Reptiles ( Canadian and Foreign ), and 

 one case of Foreign Fish. The walls are hung with Deer's Heads 



