40 
serviceable for removal to the buildings and grounds of 
the permanent establishment ; and if thought advisable, 
it might be practicable to construct even the temporary 
building so that it could be taken down and rebuilt in 
another place, or easily removed to a new site. 
A temporary garden of respectable proportions would 
require only a limited sum for buildings and machinery, 
and would probably prove remunerative ; the Society could 
also begin operations sooner, if a limited sum devoted to 
such uses could be asked for, and it could thus effectively 
start the work of exciting public interest in favor of its 
plans for the establishment of a Fresh Water Aquarium 
and a New England Zoological Garden, and probably ad- 
vance with surer steps toward the establishment of these 
two divisions of the Natural History Gardens. 
In view of these considerations the Council of the Bos- 
ton Society of Natural History asks the approval of the 
Park Commissioners to the following proposition, namely, 
that it shall be allowed to begin operations as soon as it 
has raised a third part, more or less, as may be needed, of 
the proposed sum of two hundred thousand dollars, for the 
purpose of erecting and equipping a building for a tempo- 
rary aquarium at Marine Park, on land to be granted by 
the Commissioners of Parks ; said sum to be ultimately in- 
corporated with the two hundred thousand dollars to be 
raised by the Society for the establishment of the Natural 
History Gardens ; but for the present, and as long as the 
temporary aquarium exists, to be considered as belonging 
to an independent foundation. 
Little has been said about buildings in this communi- 
cation, because it has been considered essential first to set- 
tle what we as scientific men and the Commissioners in 
their official capacity, both being equally interested in the 
cause of public education, would deem it best to’ do ; and 
