4 
There were 99 essays sent in last year on the “ Land and Fresh¬ 
water Shells of Perthshire and their Inhabitants,” 59 from boys and 
40 from girls. The circulars for this year’s essay have been issued 
to all schools in the City and County, the subject being “Four 
objects in the Perthshire Natural History Museum that interest me 
most.” 
Special facilities were granted to one student to examine and work 
at the duplicate rock collections in the Museum; while on several 
occasions similar privileges were extended to students in Art. 
The number of Natural History specimens borrowed for teaching 
purposes was 195 , as against 219 last year ; while applications for 
information in pure and applied natural history were 95 , compared 
with 76 for the previous year. 
The use of the Museum buildings was granted on two occasions 
for special purposes, viz.:—Class Teachers’ Association Conversazione. 
The Gas Department of the Corporation were granted the use of the 
Lecture Room to exhibit methods of Heating and Lighting in 
Schools. They were good enough to leave the overhead supply pipe, 
which has improved the lighting in the room. There were 75 
meetings in the buildings, exclusive of those of the Perthshire 
Society of Natural Science. There were also 16 visits of school 
children in classes accompanied by their teachers. 
Information on Museum cases, dimensions, material, fittings, (fee., 
was supplied to four Museums, and a set of case fittings is at present 
on loan. 
During the Winter months a course of twelve Lectures and 
demonstrations on Agriculture was given in the Museum Lecture 
Room, by Mr. W. Bruce, B.Sc., under the auspices of the Edinburgh 
and East of Scotland Agricultural College and the Perthshire 
County Council. The course was attended by about 50 students, 
and was much appreciated. 
The Committee is much indebted to the local newspapers for their 
courtesy in inserting notes on donations to the Museum. 
The number of visitors to the Museum for the year ending May 
15 th was 16 , 985 , as against 16,127 last year—making a total of 
193,447 since the opening. 
The Perthshire or Local Museum. 
The specimens acquired by the Museum during the past year 
will be found recorded in the List of Additions at the end of this 
Report. 
