378 Canadian Record of Science. 



roll of the former should be revised ; for there remain upon 

 it names of many who have long gone hence. 



The recent donation to the Museum by the Eev. Dr. 

 Campbell of a collection of British plants, and the necessity 

 of providing a proper place for its preservation, brings 

 prominently before our notice the fact that this Society — a 

 Xatural History Society — has no herbarium. Tbat it once 

 had a nucleus of a herbarium we know; and it is a disgrace 

 that it should have been allowed to go to destruction ; for 

 special interest attached to it on account of those who 

 contributed to its formation. I am told that it once included 

 the Macrae collection containing 2,000 specimens, the 

 Holmes collection of 750 specimens, 300 specimens from the 

 neighbourhood of Edinburgh collected by the late Dr. Hall, 

 a collection of Canadian plants made and presented to the 

 Society by Lady Dalhousie, &c, &c. 



It is not for me to enter into details with regard to the 

 recent improvements in the museum, but I am sure that the 

 Society is under great obligation, not only to the Honorary 

 Curator, Mr. Brown, but to all the gentlemen who have so 

 ably assisted him in the work of re-arrangement. In the 

 museum too, as well as in all matters pertaining to the inter- 

 ests of the Society, the services of Mr. Griffin the superin- 

 tendent, have been invaluable, and I hope that before long 

 the Society may be able to make his position a much better 

 one than it is at present. 



The need of means for improving the museum and adding 

 to our collections is, I know, deeply felt by the Honorary 

 Curator ; for while some branches of Natural History are 

 well represented, others require great additions to bring 

 them up to date. Take our mineral collection for example, 

 I suppose that it is little better now than it was forty or 

 fifty years ago. 



In our library great improvements have been made by 

 Mr. Chambers ; but here again money is required. The 

 additions consist almost entirely of miscellaneous journals 

 and pamphlets received in exchange for the Eecord of 

 Science, and while these are of great value, the library 



