PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
39 
to utilise this ground by devoting it to growing some of 
the more rare and notable Perthshire plants as illustrations 
for students. I consider that if the Perthshire Society of 
Natural Science continues in the way it has gone, and does 
work in proportion to what it has already accomplished 
during the past years with so many drawbacks of deficient 
accommodation, that the subscribers will have no cause to 
regret having provided the handsome and commodious 
building now erected. 
I believe I speak the mind of all the members of this 
Society when I say we deeply regret the strong and 
unjustifiable language that has been used by an individual 
connected with another Society, in which he labours to 
show that we were the great means of preventing co¬ 
operation or harmony of working between the Literary and 
Antiquarian Society and ourselves. I indignantly deny 
the statements made by that anonymous writer, and feel 
assured that the “history” he professes to write will not 
improve the position of his Society in public respect or 
support. I think our excellent secretary, Dr F. Buchanan 
White, has more wisely expended his literary powers in 
editing the Scottish Naturalist, the journal of our Society, 
which is now well known in scientific circles at home and 
abroad. Our Society has always most cordially welcomed 
co-workers of other Societies, believing there are ample 
fields of study and research for all, whether their 
tastes lead them to antiquarian or to modem, to 
literary or to scientific, investigations. Certainly, our 
Society has no reason to feel envious or jealous of the 
Literary and Antiquarian Society. They go their way 
and we go ours, and there is room enough for both. We 
as a Society have not sought out such an array of brilliant 
British and foreign savans as have good-naturedly given 
their names to adorn the advertisement of the Literary 
and Antiquarian Society. We did not think it right to 
spend our contributors’ money in this way;—neither would 
our respected President care to be described as ‘ ‘ fitly re¬ 
presenting all that is noble, cultured, and sage in the county 
and city.” We do not deal in such well-rounded periods, 
but prefer to do some good useful work, as we have 
hitherto done; and no one will deny that there is also room 
for the Literary and Antiquarian Society doing much 
more work in the future than it has done in the past. 
Our Society much deplores the death of our late Presi¬ 
dent, Sir Thomas Moncreiffe. To him this day would 
have been a proud and happy one, for it was ever his 
earnest desire to see the Society in a proper local habi¬ 
tation. No more fitting memorial could be erected to one 
who had the interests of science so much at heart, and 
the members can best honour the memory of our late 
President by making full use of the premises now pro¬ 
vided, and by diligently studying those sciences he loved 
so well. I have much pleasure, Mr Chairman, in handing 
to you, in name of the subscribers, the title-deeds of this 
building. 
In replying, Dr G-eikie said—It is with no little gratifi¬ 
cation that, on the part of the Perthshire Society of Natural 
Science, I accept from the subscribers to the Moncreiffe 
Memorial Museum-Fund the title-deeds of the handsome 
and adfrnirably-arranged building. I am sure that I 
speak the sentiments of every member of the Society when 
I say that we are deeply grateful for the kind consideration 
shewn towards us by making us the custodians of this 
most welcome benefaction. We are happy to think 
that the scheme originated by our late highly-esteemed 
President has been so soon realized, and that our friends 
and wellwishers have succeeded in their unselfish efforts to 
provide means for the better prosecution of natural 
science studies in this community. The completion 
and appointment of this building is the best memorial of 
our late lamented friend, Sir Thomas Moncreiffe, which 
could have been devised. It was a scheme which, as you 
know, he did all in his power to further, and we most 
sincerely regret that he was not spared to see it carried to 
a successful conclusion. 
Provided as we now are with a building of our own,— 
with rooms well suited for work, for meetings and lectures, 
and for museum purposes,—there ought to be a long course 
of prosperity before us. It will, indeed, be largely our 
own fault if we do not succeed by and by in making our 
institution a perfect model of its kind. We are still a 
young Society, with all the vitality and all the promise of 
healthy youth; and if we have not been born with a gold 
spoon in our mouth, we have at all events been presented 
with one now, which is more than many Societies of 
advanced years can boast. 
I look upon the possession of a building by a Society 
like ours as of paramount importance. It gives it as it were 
a personality and stability; it puts fresh life into the mem 
bers, and acts as a loadstone, drawing the attention of the 
public to the work done, and thus at the same time attract¬ 
ing many to join in the work, and so to aid in the advance 
of knowledge. I hope and believe it will be so with 
us, and that the building which is formally opened to-day 
may ere long prove too small for the growing educational 
requirements of this town and county. By the wise pre¬ 
vision of our friends, however, sufficient space behind has 
been reserved, upon which such additional buildings may 
be raised, as may from time to time be required. 
. You may sometimes hear it said that institutions like ours 
