224 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 



cessful introduction of new valuable features, which it is believed 

 will be sources of permanent benefit to the Society. Among 

 these, two may be especially mentioned : first, the commence- 

 ment of a series of annual social meetings open to tbe public ; 

 and secondly, the appointment of a scientific curator, a want which 

 had grown into a reproach to the Society. It is deemed proper 

 to exhibit the operations and progress of the Society under ap- 

 propriate heads. And first of 



The Museum. 

 During the past year the donations to the Museum have been 

 more than ordinarily numerous and valuable. Without desiring 

 to be invidious, your Council cannot but acknowledge the extreme 

 liberality of some members of the Society who have very hand- 

 somely added to departments hitherto scarcely represented in the 

 Museum. Through the kindness of Sir William Logan, the cura- 

 tor has been enabled to add to our collection some seventy-two 

 specimens of marine shells, eighty-one of land and fresh water 

 shells, ten echinodermata (sea urchins, and star-fishes), four crusta- 

 ceans, four cirripides, six annelidse, in all IV V species, besides a 

 number of bryozoa and sponges, nearly all new to science. Dr. 

 Dawson, among many other valuable gifts, presented the Society 

 several species of marine shells, echinodermata, &c, from the gulf 

 of St. Lawrence, Labrador, Nova Scotia, and the United States. 

 James Ferrier, jun., Esq., has presented a most extensive and va- 

 luable series of foreign shells, in which the Society's collection 

 was formerly very deficient. The number of species is about 410, 

 and contains many rare genera. R. J. Fowler, Esq., has kindly 

 enabled the Society to complete its collection of land and fresh 

 water shells of Lower Canada, by contributing the missing spe- 

 cies. Your Council invite an inspection of these valuable addi- 

 tions to the Museum, and trust that the considerate liberality of 

 the donors may be imitated by others. Your Council regret that 

 the number of quadrupeds is still so very small. They have, 

 however, issued a circular inviting contributions to their mam- 

 malia, and adding a list of the specimens wanted. Of this circu- 

 lar one thousand copies were printed, distributed to each member, 

 and extensively sent to kindred societies in Europe and the United 

 States ; so that your Council are sanguine the Society will soon be 

 enabled to see some improvement in this department. Some in- 

 teresting specimens have been added to the collection of birds. 

 Mainly through the zeal of Mr. Whiteaves, the curator of the 



