BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 255 



Recording Secretary's Report. 



The Recording Secretary, Dr. Carlos E. Cummings, report- 

 ed upon his work as lecturer for the Society during the year 

 amplifying the report of the Superintendent, stating that the 

 particular extension of the work over that of a year ago had 

 been in the direction of the evening talks on Human Physiol- 

 ogy. Primarily these lectures were intended for adults, but the 

 attendance gradually included so many of the advanced High 

 School pupils that they were eventually modified to meet that 

 special need. It is gratifying to know that our endeavor is 

 being appreciated by the advanced schools. The courses 

 offered to the grammar schools have been practically the same 

 as those of last year. We have endeavored to receive but one 

 school at a time so as to avoid the confusion that sometimes 

 arises from too large an assembly. 



It is the intention gradually to divide this school work into 

 three portions; first, the illustrated lectures as now given to the 

 children; second, the well arranged exhibits showing the nat- 

 ural products of each country so classified and arranged that 

 while adapted to the special consideration of the grade for which 

 each exhibit is intended, the whole may be of interest to the 

 classes coming here. This is already partly accomplished and 

 our lectures are followed by a trip around our rooms under the 

 teacher's guidance. Third, the travelling exhibits for schools 

 for which, especially as concerns our native birds there is an 

 increasing demand. 



In the month of July, Dr. Cummings gave a series of lec- 

 tures on Mexico at the Chautauqua Assembly and as has 

 already been stated, visited the Yellowstone National Park and 

 Colorado looking for new lecture material in furtherance of his 

 policy to offer only that which is new and original in every case. 

 The slides used are prepared in our own rooms and the neg- 

 atives are secured solely with the idea of their use in the So- 

 ciety's work. Our dark room is considered one of the best in 

 the country in its arrangement. The acquisition of a Grafiex 

 Camera has enabled the procuring of the fine picture of bees at 

 work on the flowers and a large 8xio A. S. reducing and en- 



