Natural History Society. 235 



Society, by stimulating its future efforts in the cause of science. Your 

 Council therefore feel that it is unnecessary for them to urge upon 

 the memb<=*rs of this Society the necessity of cordial unanimity and 

 zeal in their exeitions to contribute to so desirable an object. 

 The Council entertain a confident hop« that the contemplated 

 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science will be as successful as any that has yet been held. 



With a view to promote the efficiency of the Society, and in 

 compliance with the recommendation of their predecessors^ Com- 

 mittees wei-e last year appointed for the purpose of arranging the 

 collection in the Museum, and of furnishing original investigations 

 and papers in their several departments. Your Council are happy 

 to report that, so far, this arrangement has been productive of 

 good results ; among which they would specially mention a val- 

 uable paper from the Committee appointed to report upon the 

 method of reaiing fish from the ova, the recommendations of 

 which they trust, will be carried out as soon as practicable. 



The Society at its meetings in the early part of the year hav- 

 ing also taken into consideration the state of its building, and 

 deeming it unsuitable for the present wants of the institution, re- 

 solved to take measures for the erection of new premises if a 

 suitable site could be procured. A Committee was accordingly 

 appointed to make enquiries. From the report of that Committee 

 it was found that a sufficient sum of money to purchase an eli- 

 gible site and to erect a suitable edifice could not be obtained 

 fi'om the sale of the present property. Enquiry was therefore 

 made whether the grant of a free site might not be obtained. As 

 the result of this, your Council feel great pleasure in being able 

 to report that the Governors of the McGill College have made a 

 very handsome offer to the Committee, of a lot of land on Uni- 

 versity and Cathcart Streets, 90 feet by 50, on terms which are equi- 

 valent to a donatioD, and which the Committee reported as the 

 most eligible site that could be obtained. Your Council, under 

 this impression, adopted the Report, and proceeded to make ar- 

 rangements for the disposal of the present building, and the erect- 

 ion of a new one, hoping that this might be effected before the 

 meeting of the American Association. Plans of a new building 

 were accordingly prepared and submitted to a special Meeting 

 of the Society. However it was found that the sum of £2000, 

 for which the Council were authorized to dispose of the building, 

 would not be sufficient ioi the puipose contemplated ; it was, 



