XCvi PROCEEDINGS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
past few months. Out of three of our members who took a leading 
interest in the extension of the Museum, one died while the work was 
still in progress, another was struck down immediately after its com¬ 
pletion, and now the third has passed away while resting from his 
finished labours. 
Deeply as we mourn the loss of Colonel Drummond Hay from 
our midst, it is yet a matter for deep thankfulness that he was per¬ 
mitted to see the triumphal completion of his long and arduous 
labour of love. More than once during the progress of the work, he 
expressed to me his grave doubt as to whether he should live to see 
its accomplishment, and when at length he did see everything finished 
and in order, he evidently felt the keenest joy and thankfulness. 
When speaking of the precarious state of his health, it was evident 
that the brave old soldier was fully prepared for any change that 
might come. 
I will not now refer in any detail to his work as a naturalist, but 
merely remind you how varied his accomplishments were. Although 
in recent years he devoted his attention chiefly to birds, yet he had 
made extensive researches in several other branches of natural history. 
In particular, he had made a special study of the fishes both of this 
country and other countries which he had visited in earlier years, and 
his extensive series of drawings of the fishes of the Bermuda Islands 
form a collection of great scientific value, and also of high artistic 
merit. He also paid considerable attention to land and freshwater 
mollusca. The study of botany was always with him a source of 
keen delight, and he had an intimate knowledge of the flora of 
Perthshire, both as regards the flowering plants, and certain groups 
of cryptogams, particularly mosses. 
It is hardly necessary to remind you of what he did for our 
Museum. Without his labours the Museum would to-day be 
lacking its chief attractions, namely, the Collections of Perthshire 
Birds and Perthshire Nests and Eggs. Of the thousands of people 
who have examined these with delight during the past week, probably 
few have realised what an immense amount of time, labour, and 
thought were expended in their arrangement. As I have said already, 
it was a labour of love and it brought its own reward, but, never¬ 
theless, it was a labour which will call forth the grateful remembrance 
of future generations of the citizens of Perth. 
Colonel Drummond Hay’s connection with our Society extended 
over the long period of twenty-five years, during the whole of which 
he took an active interest in its affairs. He occupied the Presidential 
Chair from 1882 to 1884, and during the rest of the period he acted 
as Honorary Curator of the Society’s Collections. His numerous 
communications to the Society were always delightful to listen to, 
owing to the picturesque and graphic language in which the scientific 
details were clothed. 
After all, however, it was not the naturalist, but the man, that we 
loved, and whose loss we now mourn. To all with whom he came 
in contact he endeared himself by his unvarying courtesy and con¬ 
sideration for others. Those members who in earlier days accom¬ 
panied him on our field excursions, and also those who in later years 
