4 
August. This 'will enable children preparing for the Essay Com¬ 
petition to make use of the exhibits in naming their specimens, 
besides being a help to teachers and others interested in Plant Life. 
Post cards have been sent to the schools in the city and county 
informing them of the above facilities. The Committee is again 
indebted to Miss Thomas and others for their services in this good 
work. 
The subject of the children’s Essay Competition for this year is 
“ Half a-dozen Wayside Flowers.” 
Last year 315 boys and girls belonging to schools in Perth and 
Perthshire sent in essays on “ The Fishes of the Lochs and Streams 
of Perthshire.” 
The number of specimens borrowed for school teaching purposes 
this year was 123. 31 classes visited the Museum along with their 
teachers, including the local Elementary Schools, the Academy, 
Students of University College, Dundee, and the University Ex¬ 
tension Classes, Edinburgh. 
Apart from members of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, 
39 applications were made for assistance and advice in various de¬ 
partments of Natural History, such as the naming of specimens, 
enquiries as to gardener’s pests, &c. 
The number of meetings held in the buildings was 107, including 
a very successful coarse of 10 Lectures on Forestry, by Dr. Borth- 
wick, of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, to a class of 62 
foresters and land agents, &c. 
A list of the donations to the Museum during the past year is 
appended. A detailed account of the work done in the different 
Departments, and additions to the Museum, will be found under 
their respective headings. 
The number of visitors to the Museum for the year ending May 
15th, was 16,709. 
The Perthshire or Local Museum. 
There has been no addition to the mammal collection during the 
year, except a model of a Moles’ fortress. This model illustrates 
the underground habits of the male mole, and is a useful adjunct, 
illustrating the life-history of these interesting animals. 
A number of common birds and a few rarer species have been 
added to the bird cases, as will be seen from a glance at the list of 
donations to the Museum. All, whether common or rare, were most 
acceptable, and a number of common perching birds are still much 
desired. 
