BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 2T, 



means in its power. To this end for nearly half a century its 

 Museum and library has been opened to the people for their 

 free use, and its popular lecture courses have been given each 

 winter, upon scientific subjects which could interest the public 

 and especially awaken the enthusiasm of our high school pupils 

 and those of the upper grades in our grammar schools. 



Every facility for study for these and for all students has 

 at all times been freely placed at their command. The Society 

 has always realized the important position which a great scientific 

 museum should occupy in the educational system of our city 

 and has always opened its doors freely to the public. The 

 immediate result of the resolution adopted at the meeting of 

 April ii, 1879, encouraging the tentative effort of the Depart- 

 ment of Public Instruction to introduce elementary science 

 work in the Buffalo grammar schools, was to bring the science 

 teachers with their classes to the Society's rooms where the 

 various collections were displayed for their convenience. Trav- 

 elling collections of scientific exhibits were prepared and loaned 

 to the schools. Then acting upon a plan first conceived by 

 Prof. Frederick Houghton and Dr. Lee H. Smith, special lec- 

 tures upon familiar topics of general interest for the schools 

 such as "Bees", "Birds", and "Insects", were arranged and 

 proved successful and from these beginnings our present educa- 

 tional work has been evolved. A projection apparatus was 

 added to the Society's equipment and employed to illustrate 

 talks given by school principals or class teachers. 



Finally in 1905, by arrangement with the Department of 

 Public Instruction, the Society's rooms were placed at the dis- 

 posal of the Superintendent of Education for the establishment 

 of regular hours of instruction by illustrated lectures to the chil- 

 dren of the public schools, these lectures becoming an integral 

 part of the school requirements, the attendance of the grammar 

 grade classes being made compulsory. The services of Dr. 

 Carlos E. Cummings, as lecturer were secured by the Society 

 at its own expense and these courses of instruction in elemen- 

 tary science as given by the Society have now been carried on 

 for three years with most satisfactory results. During the last 

 year ending June, 1907, 190 lectures were given to a total 

 attendance of 19731 public school children, the subjects being 

 "Bees", "Birds", "Tropical Products", "Physiology", and 

 "Coal and Iron". An exceedingly interesting and detailed 



