CXxiv PROCEEDINGS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
that consideration of the offer has been postponed for one year, in 
order that they may know what funds will be available under the 
Public Libraries and Museums Act. With this decision I most heartily 
agree, as it would manifestly have been unwise to proceed in the 
present uncertain state of these funds. Of the ultimate acceptance 
of the gift, however, I do not entertain the slightest doubt, as the 
proposal has met with absolutely no opposition, unless it be from 
one quarter which is not worth referring to. The Members of the 
Town Council, as I know from remarks which many of them have 
made to me, are fully aware of the importance of the gift, and 
of the value which the Museum would have as an adjunct to the 
Library. Their only anxiety is that the resources of the latter should 
not be in any way hampered. I have not the slightest doubt, 
however, that if more funds should be found to be necessary, means 
will be found for increasing them. Meanwhile, we as a Society have 
to face the support of the Museum, as a public Institution, for another 
year, but as we have done this for the benefit of the public for so 
long there should not be much difficulty in doing it for other twelve 
months. 
There are only other two points I wish to refer to in connection 
with this subject. In the first place, it may be asked why it is that 
the Society is unable to support the Museum now as it has done in 
the past, seeing that the membership, and with it the income, has 
substantially increased in recent years. The reply is that it has now 
been proved beyond all possibility of doubt, both by our own experi¬ 
ence and by the experience of museum managers elsewhere, that it is 
absolutely essential for the welfare, or even for the existence of a 
Museum, that it should be under the care of a highly trained and 
properly remunerated Curator. This fact the Town Council have 
recognised with regard to the Library in the care with which they 
have selected their Librarian, and if books require skilful care and 
attention, then still more do the delicate and valuable objects which 
are displayed in a Museum. I confess that I would rather see the 
collections packed off to the British Museum to-morrow, to swell the 
national collections in London, than risk their being left without 
proper guardianship in Perth. 
The other point I wish to refer to is the very natural regret which 
I know some of our members feel in seeing the Museum pass out of 
the hands of the Society. The cause of this regret, however, is more 
sentimental than real, as the Museum will be as much a source of 
interest to the members—as well as to all lovers of nature—after it is 
the property of the town as it is now. 
Leaving the question of the future maintenance of the Museum, 
I now turn for a few moments to what has taken place within 
its walls during the past few months. The work of arranging the 
Index Collections has been progressing steadily, though necessarily 
slowly. Already the systematic collections, both in the Zoological 
and Botanical departments, have been roughly blocked out, and 
in each of these a commencement has been made to the more 
finished and detailed arrangement. The morphological and eco¬ 
nomic series exist as yet only on paper. Profiting by suggestions 
