BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
3()0 
In addition to these lectures to school children, the curator 
addressed a number of clubs and associations, which may 
j:>roperly be considered as part of our scheme of public education. 
Forty-one loans or gifts were made to public schools during 
the year. We regret with our limited means we are not able to 
properly carry on this valuable part of our work. So many 
teachers asked for these loan collections that some wdio gave 
their names in March, did not get the collection they asked for 
before the schools closed in June. 
Three hundred and fifty-three enquiries were answered. 
Collecting . — The most important collections made were 
archaeological. Some material in nearly all branches of natural 
history were gathered. 
Reports of Committees. 
Geology (G. F. Matthew, Chairman.) 
Dr. L. W. Bailey has been studying the Diatomacese of New 
Brunswick. These are microscopic, marine, l)rackish and fresh- 
water weeds that are universally distributed. In connection 
with the living forms he has studied, the skeletons of these 
organisms found in the mud at the bottom of ponds and estuaries 
of rivers. An article from Dr. Bailey’s pen with an explanatory 
plate appeared in last year’s bulletin and another is published 
in this one. 
Dr. Stopes-Gates, an authoress of note as a geologist, now 
engaged in work for the British Museum, has been studying the 
Palaeozoic floras of this region, and especially those of the Little 
River group of which the first type series is in the museum of 
this Society. She has also carefully examined the set of these 
plants in the Museum of McGill University and the Devonian 
[)lants there, described by Sir Wm. Dawson. These plants are 
oi especial value to science on account of their rarity, their great 
age and the important light they shed on the Palaeozoic floras. 
'Vhe sudden death of Dr. R. W. Ells of the Canadian Geo- 
logical Survey is a great loss to the Maritime Provinces, where 
most of his geological work was performed. For some years 
