PROCEEDINGS OF THE PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
259 
ELECTION OF OFFICE-BEARERS FOR 1886-87. 
The following were elected office-bearers for the ensuing 
year:— 
F. Buchanan White, Esq., M.D., F.L.S., President. 
Sir Robert Menzies, Bart., 1 
R. D. Pullar, Esq.,F.C.S., 
R. De Bruce Trotter, Esq., M.D., \Vice-Presidents. 
L.R.C.P.E., 
John Young, Esq., C.E., J 
S. T. Ellison, Esq., Secretary. 
John Stewart, Esq., Treasurer. 
Colonel H. M. Drummond Hay, C.M.Z.S., Curator. 
James Coates, Esq., Librarian. 
Henry Coates, Esq., F.R.P.S., Editor. 
R. Brown, Esq., C.E., R.N.,\ 
W. Barclay, Esq., > Councillors. 
W . Ellison, Esq., ' 
On the motion of Mr A. Coates, a hearty vote of 
thanks was given to the retiring office-bearers for their 
services during the past year. 
annual presidential address. 
BY DU F. BUCHANAN WHITE. 
In returning thanks for the honour you have again 
conferred upon me by re-electing me to the responsible 
office of President, I think I may congratulate the 
Society on the state of affairs that the Reports, which 
you have just heard, show. The attendance at the 
meetings, and the number and quality of the papers 
read thereat, show a decided improvement. On the 
other hand, we have no superabundance of pecuniary 
wealth, though—thanks to the generosity of several mem¬ 
bers—we are free from debt. That our energetic Curator 
has canse to renew, with increasing vehemence, his com¬ 
plaint of the want of more Museum space, is in one 
respect satisfactory, as it shows that the supply of 
specimens coming in is still good; and though it is unfor¬ 
tunate that we cannot at present exhibit these to the best 
advantage, that is a defect that will doubtless be some day 
remedied. 
In the address that I had the honour of giving you at 
this time last year, I ventured to lay before you a scheme 
for an enlargement of the Museum, pointing out how very 
necessary it was that more space should be obtained, if our 
collections are to fulfil the object for which they had been 
begun. 
In doing so I endeavoured to show that while the whole 
scheme might be carried out for about £1500, yet that two- 
thirds of that sum would enable us to put up the necessary 
additions to the building, and to furnish it so far as to re¬ 
lieve the strain upon our present Museum space. In doing 
so I did not attempt to guess where the money was to be 
found, nor can I do so upon the present occasion. As, 
however the Museum is one of the most potent weapons 
we have for promoting the objects of the Society, I have 
little doubt but that the funds will be eventually raised, 
and, as a step towards that desirable end, I propose devot¬ 
ing part of this present address to a consideration of some 
of the uses of the Museum. 
On former occasions a good deal has been said about its 
utility as a means of public education,—that is, the instruc¬ 
tion of those visitors who enter the building with but little 
knowledge of natural history. On the present occasion I 
wish rather to direct your attention to the mode in which 
the Museum is, or may be made, useful to the most learned 
naturalist as well as to the seeker after elementary know¬ 
ledge. 
Alluding to last year’s address, the scientific journal 
Nature says:—“An appeal is also made for further 
specimens for the Perthshire collection of natural history— 
an appeal which we trust may meet with adequate response, 
for, apart from the general public benefit of local museums 
as centres of education throughout the country, they are of 
universal scientific importance when they are made the 
depositories of specimens of the natural history, past and 
present, of their respective neighbourhoods. But to be of 
the fullest value in this respect they must be made as com¬ 
plete as possible.” 
Now, in the first place, it is desirable to enquire what is 
to be understood by “as complete as possible.” At first 
sight completeness would seem to have been attained were 
a single specimen of every animal, plant, or mineral, that 
is, or has been, found in the district, to be placed in the 
Museum, for this would form an object-index of the local 
zoology, botany, and geology, and be satisfactory evidence 
(so far as it went) of the occurrence of the various species. 
Should we adopt this view of “ completeness,” and form 
our collections on these lines, it is perhaps possible (though 
I doubt it) that our present Museum space would be 
sufficient, but I cannot suppose for a moment that any of 
our members are inclined to think that such collections 
could be called complete. 
Let me endeavour then to sketch out what are some of 
the conditions by which perfect completeness may be 
reached, and consequently to show that to attain such 
perfect completeness more Museum space is absolutely 
