PROCEEDINGS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. lxXXvii 
had its museum, and so also had the Zoological and Anthropological 
Societies. These museums have all been disposed of. It is at this 
moment a serious consideration with the Geological Society whether 
they are a fitting body to possess a collection, or whether they should 
hand the valuable one they own over to the National Museum. The 
marvellous spread of State-supported and rate-supported libraries, 
which has taken place during the last few years, appears to be only the 
prelude to museums maintained in the same way. The underlying 
idea of a library and a museum is precisely the same. They are both 
instruments of intellectual culture, the one as much as the other. 
You have that illustrated on a magnificent scale in the great National 
Library and Museum in London. Unfortunately, reminiscences of 
the old-fashioned country museums have caused a prejudice against 
such institutions. Now, however, an orderly, well-arranged, and well- 
labelled museum will soon be acknowledged as a necessity in any 
well-considered scheme of educational progress. The museum and 
library will go hand in hand as necessary complements to each other 
in the advancement of science and art and intellectual development 
generally. A book without illustrations is of comparatively little value 
in teaching many of the most important subjects now comprised in 
general education. A museum should be a book, or rather library of 
books, illustrated not by pictures only, but by agtual specimens of the 
objects spoken of. The great principle of expending public money upon 
purposes of education, though a comparatively new one, is now conceded 
upon all sides. The cost of supporting a few really efficient museums 
would be a mere trifle compared with the hundreds of thousands spent 
upon far less efficient modes of educating and elevating the people. 
As a stranger I must be careful not to interfere in any way with the 
government of your ancient city, and of the pecuniary resources 
belonging to it, or appear to dictate to those who are entrusted with 
their management, but I earnestly commend to their consideration 
the great benefits they may confer on education by assisting to 
guarantee the stability of this institution, especially if they can do it 
without in any way diminishing the enthusiasm or the continued 
support of those who by their noble voluntary efforts have brought it 
into the condition which now enables me to declare it open to the 
public. 
Colonel Drummond Hay said it was with very great pleasure that 
he had to rise to move a vote of thanks for the able address which 
they had heard. It was one which every member present would 
take very much to heart. It had been pointed out what a Museum 
really ought to be, how it should be conducted, and how the expenses 
should be met so that its advantages might be furthered. All these 
things were of great value. They were grateful to Sir William Flower 
for his kindness in having come down all the way from London to 
give them that address and open their Museum. He believed that 
that address would prove of great value, not only to the members of 
the Society, but to many throughout the county, and would lead them 
to support the Museum in a way which hitherto they had not done. 
There were many in the county who might do more, but who, not 
having had the advantages of the Museum brought before them, had 
