PROCEEDINGS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. CXX111 
The Secretary read the following letter which had been received 
from Mr. William MacLeish, Town Clerk :— 
“S. T. Ellison, Esq., Hon. Secy., 
“ Perthshire Society of Natural Science, 
“ Perth. 
“ City Chambers, 
“Perth, 15th Sept., 1896. 
“Dear Sir ,—Museum Buildings, Sotith Pay Street .—I enclose extracts 
from the Minutes of the Town Council, stating their present decision with 
reference to the offer of the Museum Buildings. 
“I need hardly add that, at the proper time, the subject will be again con¬ 
sidered by the Town Council—so far as I can gather, in a very friendly spirit.— 
Yours faithfully, 
“Wm. MacLeish, Town Clerk.” 
“Excerpt of Minute of a Special Meeting (in Committee) of 
the Town Council of Perth, held on Thursday, 10th 
September, 1896. 
“Museum Buildings .—The meeting took into consideration the offer (which 
was before the Council on Monday) by the Perthshire Society of Natural Science 
of their Museum Buildings in South Tay Street to the Town Council, on certain 
conditions, it having been arranged that the matter should be discussed by the 
Council in Committee. After several members had expressed their views, the 
meeting found as follows, viz. :—That having carefully considered the offer made, 
they have to express their cordial thanks to the Natural Science Society for the 
handsome offer made, but, looking to the whole circumstances, are unanimously 
of opinion that the question should be allowed to lie in abeyance for a year, when 
it is expected that the Council and the Library Committee will be better able to 
judge as to the sufficiency of the finances and assessment at their command.” 
“Excerpt Minute of Special Meeting, held on Monday, 
14th September, 1896 (in Public). 
“ Museum Buildings .—There was read to the meeting the finding and 
resolution of the Town Council in Committee (as contained in their Minute of 
Meeting of 10th curt.) on the subject of the proposal that they should take over 
the Museum Buildings in South Tay Street from the Perthshire Society of Natural 
Science, and on the motion of the Lord Provost, the present meeting being in 
public, now confirmed said finding and resolution.” 
The President delivered the following Opening Address :— 
Ladies and Gentlemen, —Following the custom of recent years, 
I shall open our Thirtieth Winter Session by a few words on the work 
of the Society during the past summer. Naturally, that work has 
been mostly in the field, but the inner affairs of the Society have 
occupied some of our attention also. I shall therefore refer to these 
briefly before turning to the Excursions and their lessons. 
It will be fresh in your memories that on 18th August last, a 
largely attended meeting of the Society, specially convened by the 
Council, was held for the purpose of considering the future mainten¬ 
ance of the Museum. After very fully considering the matter, 
the meeting unanimously resolved to adopt the recommendation 
made by the Council, namely, to offer the Museum as a gift to the 
Town. In due course the offer was formally made to the Town 
Council, with a result of which you are already fully aware, namely, 
