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LIFE IN MONTREAL. [Chap. VII. 



posesses so large a number of typically named species, the whole 

 collection having been compared with the Cumingian, shortly 

 before the death of the late owner. 



"I consider this collection far too valuable to be in the 

 hands of a private person ; and I wish therefore to present it 

 where there is a reasonable probability of its being in future 

 time available for the purposes of science. As it appears to 

 me that the McGill College is (of all places in British America) 

 the most likely to be a place for Natural History study, I am 

 willing to present it to your Museum, subject to some such 

 conditions as the following. ... If I had been a wealthy man, 

 I should have been happy to have endowed the College with 

 the result of my life's work, without making any conditions ; 

 but . . . perhaps the collection will be more valued if the 

 friends of the College subscribe to make it available for use.' 7 



The McGill College occupies a high position : it grants 

 degrees not only to its own students, but to those of affiliated 

 colleges, and has excellent schools of Law and Medicine J and 

 the eminence of the Principal, Dr. Dawson, in Natural Science, 

 and his zeal for its diffusion, was a guarantee that the collection 

 would be useful. It proved, however, that the College was 

 poor : there had been many calls on the liberality of its friends, 

 and, till that year, the Professors had not been receiving their 

 full salaries: so that it was not till October 26, 1867, that 

 Philip received a formal acceptance of his " very liberal offer." 



" The conditions of the donation are understood to be : 

 (1.) That you shall at all times have access to the Collection, 

 and that as long as possible it shall be made your special care. 

 (2.) That the University shall furnish the necessary cabinets 

 and mounting materials for the Collection. (3.) That a sum of 

 two thousand dollars shall be provided to defray the expense 

 of mounting and arranging, and shall be paid to you as the work 

 proceeds. (4.) It is further desired by the Corporation, that 

 the Collection shall be arranged separately, or in such a way as 

 to form the basis of the Collections in Mollusca, and shall, as a 

 permanent memorial of the donation, be named the Carpenter 

 Collection." 



