PROCEEDINGS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. cli 
WINTER SESSION, 1897-98. 
nth November, 1897. 
Henry Coates, F.R.S.E., President, in the Chair. 
The following donations were intimated :— 
Museum—Perthshire Collection. —Specimens illustrative of Life- 
History of Perthshire Trees—from Mr. Alfred Brown. Photographs 
of Perthshire Trees—from Messrs. H. Coates and William Ellison. 
Specimen of Epipactis palustris from below Blair-Atholl—from Mr. 
T. Caiman, Dundee. Portrait of the late Mr. John Young, C. E. 
—from Mr. G. P. K. Young. Golden-Crested Wren—from Mr. 
Whyte. Abnormal Salmon—from Mr. P. D. Malloch. Index 
Collection. —Specimens of Connemara Marble—from Miss Macnab. 
Collection of Shells—from Viscountess Strathallan. Relief Map of 
Scotland—from Mr. Henry Coates. Geological Specimens—from 
Mr. Alex. M. Rodger. 
Library. —“ British Deer and their Horns,” by Mr. J. G. Millais 
—from Lady Millais. Geological Survey of Canada, Annual Report 
—from the Canadian Government. Nansen’s “Farthest North”— 
from Members of the Society. Portraits of Contributors to the 
Reports of the “ Challenger ” Expedition—from Mr. Henry Coates. 
Two French pamphlets—-from Professor Flauhault, Montpellier. 
Mr. R. Dow exhibited a specimen of Monstera deliciosa from 
Castle Huntly, and of Ranunculus reptans from Lochleven. 
The President delivered the following Opening Address :— 
Ladies and Gentlemen,— I think our first duty this evening is 
to congratulate our esteemed Curator, first, on having been selected 
by the Government to fill an important, though temporary, scientific 
post; and in the second place, on his safe return after fulfilling the 
duties of that post on the other side of the globe. The Society will, 
I am sure, be well compensated for the loss of his services during 
the five months of his absence, not only by the valuable, and in some 
cases almost unique, specimens which he has been able to bring home 
for our Museum, but also by the fund of experience which he has 
gained during his travels, and which will be used for the benefit of 
the Society. The temporary absence of our Curator has served to 
emphasize the truth which I have frequently urged upon the Society, 
namely, that it is absolutely necessary for the preservation of valuable 
scientific collections such as ours that they should be under the con¬ 
stant supervision of a thoroughly trained expert. During the time of 
Mr. Rodger’s absence, even with the attention which Mr. Caiman, of 
Dundee, was able to give during occasional visits, the work of arrange¬ 
ment was practically suspended, and, in addition, some of the speci¬ 
mens began to show signs of deterioration. This, of course, was 
