ENDOWMENT FUND XXV 



These are only a few names out of the thirty or more 

 students whose collections had become so important in the 

 early eighties that another group of men, of whom north 

 country citizens may be equally proud, came forward and with 

 rare and unselfish generosity gave the freehold land and sub- 

 scribed the money (amounting in the first instance to nearly 

 ;^5o,ooo) to erect a building in which these treasures might 

 be suitably housed and be made for all time accessible for 

 reference and study to the serious student from any part of 

 the world. This Museum with its important collections was 

 handed over to the Natural History Society as being a body 

 of men who, possessed of the knowledge and imbued with the 

 scientific spirit of the pioneers, were best fitted to be the 

 custodians of these highly prized specimens. The Society 

 accepted this responsibility, and for nearly thirty years, by 

 means of their subscriptions and the frequent generous assist- 

 ance of friends, its members have not only maintained the 

 Museum, but have taken over many other important private 

 collections. 



The suitable care of these collections has for many years 

 rendered necessary the services of a highly trained scientific 

 naturalist. The Society have been fortunate in having secured 

 this for more than twelve years in the person of Mr. E. 

 Leonard Gill, M.Sc, but at a remuneration far below his 

 value, and in order to retain his services or to secure an 

 efficient successor if at any time he should leave his present 

 position, the Council of the Natural History Society are most 

 anxious to be in a position not only to give more adequate 

 remuneration to their Curator and to the Museum Staff, but 

 also to possess an annual income which will enable them to 

 carry on the other work of the Society in the spirit of its 

 founders, and to maintain the high position in the scientific 

 world which has been held by this Society in the past. 



Under these circumstances the Council of the Natural 

 History Society now confidently appeal to the successors of 

 the men who in the eighties showed such appreciation of 



