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THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



Rev. Mr. Brunet, then Professor of Botany, and 

 the writer were sent to Washington to make 

 arrangements with the Smithsonian Institution 

 for the purchase of such a collection. This 

 was arranged with Dr. Baird, and a number 

 of specimens were afterwards received, but 

 we have no knowledge that material was 

 regularly forwarded in accordance with the 

 Catalogue contract. However, with what 

 the University now possesses in this Depart- 

 ment and its collection of Birds' Eggs, with a 

 fair representation of the Orders of Canadian 

 Insects, students can pass their leisure profit- 

 ably in the room. In an adjoining room will 

 be found Dr. Tache's collection of Ethnological 

 forms, which are very interesting as exhibiting 

 the modes of life and early history of the Indian 

 tribes of Canada. The indefatigable exertions 

 of the late Rev. Mr. Brunet made the Botanical 

 collection the best in the Dominion ; in fact, 

 it is now a reference of no mean order. The 

 arrangement of plants are in accordance with 

 modern classification and nomenclature, and 

 the genera and specific names properly and 

 intelligently placed. If the present Professor 

 will only watch over the Herbarium as our 

 late esteemed friend Brunet did, then it will 

 exist to be useful for generations to come. We 

 may add that the University possesses a 

 magnificent collection of philosophical appara- 

 tus which are not, probably, equalled on this 

 continent. The authoiities had, from the be- 

 ginning, an eye to matters of this nature as an 

 intelligent means of advancing the knowledge 

 of young men entering their classes, and, in- 

 deed, similar institutions in this country should 

 endeavor to imitate Laval, and procure mate- 

 rial of like nature, in order ,to keep pace with 

 this advanced age of enquiry and thought. 



THE BETSIAMITES MUSEUM. 



On the North-shore of the Lower St. Law- 

 rence, almost opposite Father Point, a large, 

 good salmon river, called Betsiamites, enters 

 salt water. It is about ninety miles below 

 Tadousac and two hundred from Quebec. The 



Hudson Bay Co. occupy a post here, to trade 

 with the Indians who generally reside near the 

 river, as they claim it by right. There is also 

 a Moravian Missionary residence, where the 

 Gospel is propagated among the tribe. Through 

 the influence and energy of these clergymen a 

 Museum of Natural History objects has been 

 erected — the collection being kept in a separate 

 building. We wish to speak of this collection 

 in order to show what can be performed by 

 determined exertion. Here then, we say, that 

 on the North Coast of the Lower St. Lawrence, 

 in a place, to a great extent, only frequented 

 by Indians, the devoted missionaries have 

 erected a Museum to educate the savage. We 

 were astonished when we visited it, as we did 

 not expect to see such things on the verge of 

 the Labradorian coast. But we know what 

 these missionaries mean by this exhibition, 

 and the result of forming a collection of 

 Natural objects before the semi-savage eye is 

 a grand idea, brim-full oi good results. The 

 collection is extremely good, being the product 

 of amateurs. There are quite a number of 

 specimens from France. We believe this is 

 the first English notice given of the above 

 collection. — C. 



OTTAWA FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 

 We have before us Transactions Nos. 1 and 

 2 of the above named Club, from 1879 to 1881. 

 An institution of this nature was wanted in 

 the City of Ottawa, the surroundings of which 

 are prolific in objects of scientific research. 

 We are cognizant of the valuable paleonto- 

 logical work done by the late Mr. Billings in 

 the Ottawa Valley, and furthermore mention, 

 with pleasure, that there are other Billings' 

 following his footsteps. These iacts should 

 stimulate the closet naturalists connected with 

 the Geological Survey to go to work for undis- 

 covered material ; it would certainly be credit- 

 able to the discoverers, and add laurels to the 

 Department. It appears, however, that it is 

 not the way in which these learned gentlemen 

 wish to obtain honour. We believe that many 



