24 HISTORICAL SKETCH 



account of these lectures written by Dr. Cummings was given 

 in a bulletin published by the Society in 1906. The Society 

 owns a valuable and most interesting series of nearly 2000 lantern 

 slides which it has prepared for this most important branch of 

 its work. It has been the pioneer among the Societies of 

 Natural Science in establishing in this way a direct educational 

 relationship to the public school system of a great city. Its 

 success has awakened a wide spread interest throughout the 

 United States and Canada: many letters of inquiry regarding 

 our methods are constantly being received and other Scientific 

 Societies in leading cities are already seeking to follow the 

 example set them here. During the summer of 1907 Dr. 

 Cummings has been invited by Dr. George E. Vincent of the 

 Chautauqua assembly to deliver his lectures there, with an 

 advanced course for Science teachers attending that summer 

 school. 



On the 13th of March, 1903, Mr. Dexter P. Rumsey and 

 the heirs of Bronson C. Rumsey of Buffalo, conveyed as a gift 

 to the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences a plot of land having 

 a frontage of 150 feet on Elm wood Avenue lying southward 

 from the southerly boundary of Delaware Park with a depth of 

 280 feet to a proposed street that will be parallel to Elmwood 

 Avenue. This beautiful property, valued at about $30000.00 

 was generously given as the site for a building suited to the 

 Society's purposes. Plans for such a building have been pre- 

 pared by Messrs. Green and Wicks and it is greatly hoped that 

 in the near future the necessary means may be provided for its 

 erection as a permanent home for the Museum, with the proper 

 lecture rooms and laboratories for its educational work. 



It is now forty-six years since the Buffalo Society of 

 Natural Sciences was first organized. Of the one hundred and 

 twenty nine members who joined in that organization but six- 

 teen are still living, but, as the years have slipped by, the 

 places of those who have passed away have been taken by 

 others who have labored with zeal to maintain the high ideal of 

 service which has ever characterized the Society's endeavors. 

 It has grown from the smallest beginnings to the recognized 

 position of influence which it occupies today. It is an educa- 

 tional factor of no small importance in the school system 

 of our great city and has become a teacher to other scientific 



