XCV111 PROCEEDINGS— PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
read. Eight new members have been added during the year, making 
a total membership of 290, including 1 honorary member, to corre¬ 
sponding members, and 8 associates. Six excursions were held during 
the summer months, and the Council desires to tender to the various 
proprietors and tenants who granted the necessary liberty for these 
excursions its most hearty thanks. The Museum continues to attract 
even larger numbers than before — about 3,000 having visited it last 
year. The Lecture-Room has been granted, as formerly, to various 
local societies whose objects are of an educational nature. As the 
ordinary income of the Society is largely consumed by the mainten¬ 
ance of the Museum, and in keeping it open to the public free of 
charge, your Council has recently made an appeal for funds for 
the extension of the Library, so that it may be kept abreast of 
the age, and is pleased to be able to state that this appeal has 
been very generously responded to. Your Council therefore hopes 
very shortly to purchase such works as will add materially to the use¬ 
fulness of the Library to workers in the various fields of scientific 
enquiry, and also to the members generally. It is with much regret 
that the Council has to record the death of two distinguished mem¬ 
bers, namely, Dr. Croli and Mr. T. G. Murray of Stenton. Dr. Croll, 
whose fame as a man of science is known to all, did honour to the 
Society by allowing himself to be enrolled as an honorary member. 
Mr. T. G. Murray, although not a naturalist himself, was a benefactor 
to the Society in several ways, having, in addition to being a sub¬ 
scriber to the Museum fund and a donor of valuable books to the 
Library, shown hospitality at Stenton on more than one occasion to 
the members of the Society. 
REPORT OF TREASURER. 
(See Balance-Sheet, page cxxi.) 
REPORT OF CURATOR. 
In making my report for the past year as your Curator, I have 
much pleasure in stating that the several collections are in thoroughly 
good order, and that the Museum still continues to merit the appro¬ 
bation of visitors and scientific men who have seen it. I may 
instance my going round it this summer with a Professor on the 
staff of the Museum at South Kensington, who expressed his high 
approval af the whole arrangement, adding that it was one of the best 
local Museums he had seen. He appeared to be particularly struck 
with the large series of nests and eggs now in the Society’s posses¬ 
sion. With regard to these, I may mention that we have had some 
valuable additions in this section made during the last spring, among 
others being the nest and full clutch of eggs of the Shoveller Duck, 
presented by Sir John Millais, Bart., and obtained by his head keeper 
at Murthly, Mr. Keay. This bird also breeds at Methven. It was 
only as lately as 1879 that the Shoveller was supposed to be 
only a rare and casual visitant to the district. Now it is known 
(though it is by no means numerous) to be pretty well dispersed 
throughout, remaining the whole season and rearing its broods. 
