228 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 



not affect to despise any assistance that may be afforded us, pecu- 

 niary or otherwise, in this behalf. In the meantime, we owe the 

 Provincial Government thanks for its appreciation of the objects of 

 the Institute, manifested in this and other modes in its behalf; and 

 to Dr. Honrym\n, for doing all in his power to make the Museum 

 si convenient place for our meetings. 



Our want of means also prevents us from adding to the Institute 

 5i library of publications on Natural Science, which would not only 

 fee a source of profitable amusement and intelligence to those of our 

 members who are interested in such pursuits., but a great assistance 

 to such of" us as may feel inclined to take the trouble of composing 

 papers on subjects which come within our knowledge, on which we 

 may have arrived at some degree of proficiency. We already 

 possess some valuable books of this description, but the want of 

 many more is being felt continually. 



We would also like to be able to invite to Halifax, occasionally, 

 men celebrated in various walks of science, who might communi- 

 cate by papers read before, our Institute, or otherwise, some of the 

 knowledge they themselves possessed. Such incentives to progress 

 could not fail to be of service to the Institute, and valuable to the 

 whole community. 



It would likewise be pleasing to many of us if more of our 

 members would furnish papers for the Ordinary Meetings. Acci- 

 dent ofttimes, and careful observation frequently, elicit facts and 

 •discoveries, which help to settle doubtful points of science, and all 

 such would be very interesting at those meetings. At present, 

 valuable as our monthly papers may be, and we believe are, we 

 •depend nearly altogether upon a stereotyped list of authors. We 

 beg, however, to state, lest there may be some misapprehension on 

 this head, that it is not because the papers read have been superior 

 to others at our disposal, but because none other are submitted, 

 that the same names are so often announced. We do not know of 

 more than one instance where a paper written with fair grammatical 

 accuracy, and treating of any branch of Natural Science, has been 

 withheld. It might have been as well, perhaps, on occasion, that 

 all had not been printed ; but whenever there has been a question 



