51 
the beginning of May and remain out as late as November, the average 
field season being about three months for anthropology, biology, and 
mineralogy, but between four and five months for geology and palaeontology. 
The occasional expeditions into Arctic Canada last from eighteen months 
to three years. Field parties are sent to all parts of Canada and, rarely, 
outside Canada, when necessary for the solution of scientific problems. 
The total number of Survey and Museum parties placed in the field each 
year has varied from forty to sixty since 1920, but only about ten of these 
are mainly concerned with Museum work, the others collecting information 
and material for the Museum incidentally to their work for the Geological 
Survey. 
Contributions to science resulting from field investigations are pub- 
lished in a Museum Bulletin series, commenced in 1913, which has now 
reached forty-five volumes. The memoirs, summary reports, annual 
reports, and reports of progress of the Geological Survey also contain much 
information of the same kind and papers are constantly being contributed 
to many scientific periodicals. 
A series of lectures on natural history subjects is delivered every 
winter in the lecture hall, under Museum auspices, the lecturers being 
obtained chiefly from various Government departments. These lectures 
are given to children on Saturday mornings between October and April, 
and to adults on the corresponding Wednesdays. Numerous lectures are 
also given in Ottawa and elsewhere in Canada under the auspices of other 
organizations, especially by the geologists and anthropologists. The 
Museum also participates in exhibitions outside Ottawa, either by making 
displays of natural history material or by lending it. The Victoria Memo- 
rial Museum is being used more and more by learned societies as a meeting 
place and numerous conversaziones have been arranged by the Survey 
and Museum staff since 1920. The division of mineralogy with assistance 
from the divisions of geology and palaeontology, supplies collections of 
mineral rocks and fossils to schools, colleges, and other educational institu- 
tions in Canada and foreign countries and supplies other collections to 
prospectors. 
THE FUTURE 
The Museum has recently come to a crossroad in its career and is 
faced with three courses from which to choose. Onward extends the 
broadening way which it has pursued for eighty years, from infancy, in 
company with the Geological Survey. Rather sharply divergent on the 
one hand is a new path that it can take alone, and on the other hand is 
a third course along which it can be accompanied by the Survey and other 
kindred organizations. It is well to consider the choice thoroughly, for to 
turn back afterwards, especially from either new path, would be costly and 
difficult. Nevertheless, not too much time should be consumed in decision, 
because further provision of space for the Museum, the amount and nature 
of which will depend upon the Museum’s relationships, must be provided 
very soon if the activities of the Museum are not to be greatly curtailed. 
Fortunately, each way is well lighted by experience. 
The National Museum of Canada has always been a natural history 
museum and will presumably continue as such, since the Government 
already maintains a separate museum of art, the National Gallery of 
