Proceedings of the Society. 173 
wise have disappeared, has been a place of refuge and safe- 
keeping to evidences of rare natural phenomena, and has 
furnished, in a form accessible to all, classified collections of 
natural objects of immense value to the scientific student. 
It would be easy to find in our collections specimens of ani- 
mals and plants once common on this island or even within 
the limits of this city, and now locally extinct. It is inter- 
esting to see in the old botanical collections of Dr. Holmes, 
one of the founders of this society, plants credited to swamps 
on Craig street, and to examine skins of wild animals cap- 
tured in places where no hunter will again find them till 
Canadian civilization has passed away and the sites of our 
towns and farms shall have reverted to the original wilder- 
ness. So the traveller may see in our cases the rude imple- 
ments and manufactures of that aboriginal city of Hoche- 
laga, which preceded Montreal, and was visited 300 years 
ago by the intrepid yet courteous Cartier, but which has 
been finally swept away by the encroachments of our 
streets and terraces of houses. Our collections are rela- 
tively small, but in some departments, as in Canadian 
mammals, birds and insects, they are very complete, and 
not only afford means of study to the naturalist, but tend 
to inspire the young with an interest in natural objects. 
Their value in this respect is also enhanced by the foreign 
specimens which have been presented to us, and which 
illustrate some of the most strange and beautiful creatures 
of foreign lands. Such a museum is more than a mere 
curiosity shop; it is an actual and arranged presentment of 
Nature, loved and cared for and augmented by zealous and 
enthusiastic souls, who, actuated only by affection for Na- 
ture and by public spirit, have devoted time and labor to 
its maintenance, preservation and extension. The report 
of our honorary curator, Mr. Mason, to whom we are very 
much indebted for the improvements he has introduced, 
shows many important donations in the past year and a 
large number of visitors. Our library is, perhaps, the least 
advanced part of our equipment. Still we have a large 
number of valuable and rare scientific books, more especi- 
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