XC11 PROCEEDINGS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
that led ultimately to the higher appointment, where he had greater 
scope for museum work. Being devoted to museums, he had always 
thought it not only his duty to work in the museums with which 
he was immediately associated, but to spread as far as he could 
an interest in the subject elsewhere in the country. He considered 
himself a sort of museum missionary. He saw what was now be¬ 
ginning to be seen generally, that museums might be one of the 
greatest means of educating the people of the country that they 
possessed. He had watched the Perth Museum with interest. Ten 
years ago he had been brought into it by Colonel Drummond Hay. 
Last year he again saw it, and he thought from what he had seen 
that day that they were starting a Museum on what appeared to him 
to be right principles. He knew a great many other museums on 
which they might very truly inscribe the motto, “ Rubbish may be 
shot here.” These were not the sort of museums he advocated, 
but, unfortunately, there were many such. He believed that the 
people of Perth were determined to make their Museum a real 
educational Museum. It was not done yet; it was not perfect. 
No Museum was perfect, but the people of Perth wished to make 
their Museum what it ought to be. They must face the question of 
expense. They must have a curatorial staff, and must pay them a good 
fair rate for their knowledge, experience, and skill. As far as he could 
see at present, they were fortunate in having got a very good curator to 
support them. He hoped they would pay him sufficient to prevent his 
going anywhere else, and that they would perhaps add to the number 
of his assistants. He did not think they could entirely depend on 
voluntary contributions, even in the Perthshire Society, admirable 
as it was. They had done an immense deal already, but many 
museums were started in that way, and, owing to deaths, removals, 
and so forth of the original starters, fell away. When once they saw 
how valuable museums could be made as a means of education, he 
did not think the people would grudge paying for them. Sir William 
Flower then referred to the grant of ^400 per annum which had been 
recently made to Owen’s College by the Corporation of Manchester, 
and expressed the hope that something of the kind would be done 
in Perth. He did not venture to dictate. He did not think that the 
museum should be handed over entirely to the Corporation. The 
Society had done a most admirable work, and ought to continue as 
much as possible by voluntary contributions; but if these were 
supplemented to a small extent, and if the municipality took some 
little interest in the Museum, they would secure a future for it which 
would not only be an excellent thing for Perth, but for all Scotland 
and the British Isles, because it would be seen what could be done 
in making an educational museum by the union of voluntary effort, 
with a little aid from those in charge of the education of the town. 
Mr. R. Wallace, M.P., in proposing “ The Lord Provost, Magis¬ 
trates, and Town Council,” commended the Museum to their 
support. They had, he said, done much for the education of the 
city through the public library and through the educational establish¬ 
ments they gave so much attention to. But they wanted something 
more, and after Sir William Flower’s speech he had no doubt the 
