PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
153 
room is obtained for them. Our progress, as I have said, is 
steady, though slow, and perhaps slower than it ought to be. 
I would, therefore, again draw attention, as I have done 
on former occasions, to the fact, that the Society is most 
anxious, and especially now that the Museum is open to 
the public, that the local fauna should be completed as 
early as possible. Many species once abundant in 
the county, more particularly among the mammals (such 
as the wild-cat, martin-cat, pole-cat, &c.) have be¬ 
come so rare, if not extinct, in the county, that it 
is necessary that these be supplied by securing stuffed 
specimens of those that have been got in former years, 
of which, no doubt, there are many still existing in the 
county. It is earnestly hoped, therefore, that those pos¬ 
sessing such,—and who, perhaps, may not attach much 
value to them, but have them placed, as is sometimes the 
case, in some out-of-the-way corner, or on some backstair, 
where they are seldom seen,—will kindly allow them to 
have a place in the Museum on loan, should the possessor 
not wish actually to part with them. Every care will 
be taken with regard to their safety, and the specimens 
restored when required. Besides mammals, there are 
some of our larger birds of prey, as well as the larger 
species of web-footed birds, to which this applies, such as 
the fishing or white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, osprey, 
swans (of which there are three species), the mute- 
whooper, and Bewicks, and some of the geese, the white- 
fronted and the beau, now seldom seen. It may be as 
well, however, to remark that these would all require, for 
the time being, to be placed on the Museum stands, and 
returned in their cases or otherwise, when restored, which 
they would be, in the same way as they were received. 
The particulars as to each specimen on loan are being duly 
entered in a book kept for the purpose, stating date and 
name of lender, and the same is put on the labels. 
I can only trust that when the Curator’s Report is 
laid before you again, it will be found that a hearty re¬ 
sponse has been made to the appeal, for in no other way 
can we expect to obtain many of these rarities, or speedily 
to make the Perthshire Collection as perfect as it should 
be, without waiting for many years, and not perhaps even 
then. 
On the motion of Dr Trotter, seconded by Mr John 
Stewart, the Reports were approved of. 
APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS. 
Mr John Dawson and Mr C. Law were appointed 
auditors. 
ELECTION OF COUNCIL FOR 1884-85. 
The following were elected office-bearers and members 
of Council for the session 1884-85 
F. Buchanan White, Esq., M.D., F.L.S., President. 
Captain D. M. Smythe, Yr. of Methven, 
S. T. Ellison, Esq., 
John Macgregor, Esq., 
James Stewart, Esq., 
John Young, Esq., C.E., Secrttary. 
John Stewart, Esq., Treasurer. 
Colonel H. M. Drummond Hay, C.M.Z.S., of Seggieden, 
Curator. 
James Coates, Esq., Librarian. 
Henry Coates, Esq., F.R.P.S., Editor. 
A. Sturrock, Esq., Rattray, 
R. D. Pullar, Esq., F.C.S. 
Dr Trotter. 
Mr A. Coates, in moving a hearty vote of thanks to the 
retiring President and office-bearers for the valuable 
services rendered by them to the Society, said the past 
year had been one of peculiar interest in the history of the 
Society, in the opening of the new Museum. For some 
years previously the work of the Society had been more of 
a preliminary nature, but the Society might be now said to 
be full fledged, as it had presented to the world a Museum 
which was becoming every day more and more a complete 
local collection of natural history objects—a collection 
which the members of the Society had been informed, in 
the various addresses which had been delivered at its in¬ 
auguration, was more valuable to the community than any 
mere general collection. The various office-bearers of the 
Society had rendered great service in carrying out the 
details in connection with the conversazione at the formal 
opening of the Museum, and therefore, for these and other 
services performed by them in the cause of science 
throughout the year, he had much pleasure in moving a 
cordial vote of thanks to the retiring President and office¬ 
bearers of the Society. 
Mr R. Pullar seconded the motion, remarking that the 
office-bearers deserved all the thanks they could give them 
for the great amount of work which they had performed 
during the year. 
The motion having been carried with acclamation, 
Dr Buchanan White returned thanks in behalf of the 
retiring office-bearers. 
> Vice-Presidents. 
• Councillors. 
