lxxiv PROCEEDINGS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
until the Perthshire Collection had been put in order. Now, how¬ 
ever, the work is steadily progressing from case to case, and from 
division to division of the Animal Kingdom. In some of these I 
venture to say that the workmanship is not surpassed in any Museum 
in the kingdom, either as regards design or execution. In particular, 
the case illustrating the structure and classification of the fishes has 
won the admiration of several naturalists who have visited the Museum 
during the past summer. 
Speaking of the Museum reminds me that we are now approaching 
the end of the period of five years during which the maintenance of 
the Museum was guaranteed by a few friends. When that period 
expires we must look to the Municipal Authorities to assume the 
responsibility for its upkeep, in conjunction with the Free Library. 
I believe it would be the feeling of the whole community that it 
would be nothing short of a calamity if what has now come to be 
recognised as one of the most popular institutions in the city had to 
close its doors to the public. 
It will be noticed that a large proportion of the papers on our 
syllabus are on subjects bearing on bird life. This is appropriate at 
the present time, as the subject prescribed for the Children’s Essay 
Competition for the present season is “ The Legs, Feet, and Bills of 
Birds.” I trust that a large number of school children will visit the 
Museum during the next two months with a view to studying for the 
competition, and that the number of essays sent in by 31st December 
will be in excess of those received last year. Special provision is 
made for drawing out the artistic talents of the competitors, as marks 
will be given for sketches illustrating the subject. 
OBITUARY. 
We have to deplore the loss by death during the past summer 
of two more of our members who have left their impress in our 
annals. These are James Keay, Gamekeeper, Murthly, and Robert 
Smith, B.Sc., Assistant to the Professor of Botany in University 
College, Dundee. The former was one of the foremost among that 
band of keen observers of Nature scattered in different parts of our 
county to whom we are largely indebted for our unique collection of 
the local vertebrate fauna. Living as he did in closest touch with 
wild Nature, and being possessed of exceptional intelligence, he was 
familiar with all the phases of animal life in his district. This 
was noticed particularly by the late Sir John Millais, who rented 
the shootings of Murthly for several years, and who was himself a 
true lover of Nature. His biographer, Mr. J. G. Millais, speaks of 
James Keay and his two assistants as “Quite exceptional men of 
their class, Highlanders of the very best type, in whom were blended 
all the finest qualities of unspoilt natures.” And further,—“ Of 
James Keay, a gentleman in everything but social rank, my father 
was particularly fond, and he always considered him one of the best 
men he ever came in contact with.” 
Of Robert Smith I may say that many of us, although we had 
only known him for a very few years, had come to regard him with 
