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Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de chaque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — «»■ iignifie "A SUiVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmis d de") taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est film6 d partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de hfiUt en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 2 1 3 4 5 6 ADDRESS Principally on the Provincial Museum, DELIVERED AT THE OPENING 9 ^ OF THE TWENTY-SE^ewib SESSION OK THE N ova \ CO" an InsfiTuko''" Ufa cii^na; BY t Professor J. G. MACGREGOR, PRESIDENT. -4?^=^^ HALIFAX, N. S.: Printed by William Macnab, 3 x':;iaCE Street. 1890. MMMm^. : : \j^Hlil (,V^v/ I w,l OPENING ADDRESS. V, ,By Professor J. G. MacGregor, President. Gentlemen : — In the few remarks which I have to make by way of opening the first meeting of the present session, the first place must be given to a reference to the loss with which the Institute has met during the past year, through the deaths of two of its oldest members, — Mr. William Gossip and Rev. David Honeyman, D. C. L. Mr. William Gossip was born at Plymouth, England, in 1809, and came to Halifax at the age of 13 years. In 1831 he went to Pictou, where for three years he published and partly edited the Fictou Observer. He returned to Halifax in 1834, and estab- lished a bookselling and publishing business, which he maintained until his death. For some years after his return to Halifax, he edited and published a newspaper called The Times. Mr. Gossip joined this Institute on the 2nd Feb., 1863, a few weeks after its formation. He was, theiefore, practically an ori- ginal member. In 1864 he was appointed Secretary, and he con- tinued to discharge the duties of that office until 1871. From 1871 till 1874, he was a member of Council without office; from 1874 to 1878, Vice-President ; from 1878 to 1880, President ; and from 1880 to 1889, a member of Council, either without office or serv- ing as Vice-President. For twenty-six years, therefore, and practically from the time of the Institute's foundation until his death, he had a hand in the management of its affairs. As a member of Council he was one of the willing few on whose shoulders the bulk of the work fell ; and his special knowledge of printing and publishing enabled him to give specially valuable service in superintending the publication of our Tranvsactions, with the editing of which he was for many years entrusted. 2 Mr. Gossip contributed four scientific papers to our Transac- tions, one geological and three anthropological. His activity and influence in the line of the Institute's scientific work, however, were much greater than is indicated by the number of his papers. Not being himself professionally a scientific man, he was diffident about putting into the form of a paper the results of his own observation and reflection. But being a very wide reader, and having not only large scientific interest, but also extensive scien- tific knowledge, the remarks he was accustomed to make on papers read by other members, were always full of information, and often highly suggestive ; and most of our working members owe him a debt of gratitude for his intelligent and kindly criti- cism of their work. Dr. Honeyman was born at Corbie Hill, Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1817. He received his eai'y education at the Dundee High School, from which he proceeded, at the age of 17, to the Uni- versity of St. Andrews. At St. Andrews he devoted himself chiefly to the somewhat strange combination of oriental languages and natural science. The former, including Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac and Persian, he studied with such marked success, that while yet a student, he was selected to teach Hebrew to a class consisting largely of clergymen. In natural science he quickly became so well known as a collector that he was employed to assist in providing a museum for the Watt Institution ^,i Dundee. Having completed his university studies he selected the church as a profession, and in 1836 entered the United Secession Theo- logical Hall, studying first at Glasgow, and afterwards at Edinburgh. He was licensed in 1841, and joined the Free Church immediately after the Disruption. Five years afterwards he came out to Nova Scotia and was appointed Professor of Hebrew in the Free Church College in this city ; but after a short pro- fessoriate he resigned his chair with the intention of going to the United States. A timely call from the Presbyterian congrega- tion of Shubenacadie, however, induced him to remain in Nova Scotia ; and a few years later he accepted the pastorate of the congregation of Antigonish. Meantime neither his theological and oriental studies, nor his pastoral work had quenched his early I I love of science ; and after a few years, during which he had ac- quired in his spare moments a profound knowledge of the geol- ogy of the eastern part of the Province, he resigned his charge at Antigonish and decided to devote himself wholly to scientific work. He was not long without definite employment, his repu- tation as a naturalist leading to his appointment by the Nova Scotian Government to make a collection of our minerals for the London International Exhibition of 1862, and to superintend the whole of the Nova Scotian section at that Exhibition. He was afterwards sent on similar service to the Dublin Exhibition of 1865, the Paris Exhibition of 1867, the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876, and the London Fisheries Exhibition of 18S3. In 1869 we find him on the staflF of the Geological Survey of Canada • and, on leaving the Survey, the Nova Scotian Government shewed its appreciation of his services by appointing him Curator of the Provincial Museum, of which he had been to a large extent the creator. He held this office until his death ; and under his charge the Museum has acquired such dimensions as to demand a special building for the display of its collections. Dr. Honeyman was elected a member of this Institute on the 3rd December, 1866. In 1870 he was made a member of Council, and in 1871 was elected to the office of Secretary, which office he held, at first singly and in late years jointly with a colleague who took charge of the Institute's records, until his death, a period of 18 years. How laborious the; duties of this office were, few of us have any idea. They included not only the conducting of correspondence with the learned Societies abroad with which we have been from time to time in communication, but also the receipt and preservation of the various publications which these Societies have sent us, and the transmission to them of copies of our Transactions in return. But these services, though large in themselves, form but a small part of what he did for us. For it is to the long series of valuable papers which he communi- cated to the Institute, and which we had the honour of publishing in our Transactions, that the reputation which our Institute has established abroad is largely due. These papers he might in many cases have communicated to other Societies with greater advantage to himself ; but he was willing to forego the more rapid recogni- tion of his own work, which would have been gained by publication in the Transactions of older Societies, in order that the reputation of our Society might be more quickly established. And frequently when the members of the Institute have been despondent as to its progress, his characteristic enthusiasm and his readiness to intrust to it the great bulk of the result of his scientific investigations, have stimulated their flagging zeal and urged them to renewed effort Dr. Honeyman's communications to our Transactions, including two which were found on his desk after his death and will be read during the present session, number fifty- seven. Of these, thirty-five were devoted to a study of the general Geology of Nova Scotia, one to the Geology of New Brunswick, and one to the Geology of the Magdalen Islands, Five were on Nova Scotian rocks, their polariscopic character and metamorphism, and on metalliferous sands. Six were devoted to a special study of the Glacial Geology of Nova Scotia. Eight dealt with other subjects, such as new and rare fishes, Nova Scotian Echinoderms, Chebucto Nullipores, Sponges, and other biological subjects ; and one was on Meteorites. Even this large number of papers does not represent the whole of his scientific activity ; for he published also many papers in the Transactions of other scientific Societies, the number and character of which I have no means of ascertain- ing. He published also a few years ago a small book called *' Giants and Pigmies," intended to facilitate the study of the collections of the Provincial Museum. During the last year of his life he was engaged chiefly in a microscopic study of organ- isms found attached to submarine cables, and entrusted to him by Capt. Trott, of the S. S. Minia ; and the result of this study was the discovery of what appear to be a large number of marine sponges hitherto unknown. Dr. Honeyman's scientific work was highly appreciated both at home and abroad. He received the honorary degree of D. C. L. from King's College, Windsor. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the Geological Society of London, a Member of the Geological Society of France, an recogni- iblication eputatioQ :equently b as to its to intrust ons, have renewed including 1 will be Of these, eology of id one to on Nova norphism, cial study ith other inoderms, ects ; and ipers does published Societies, ascertain- >ok called iy of the it year of of organ- Bd to him hhis study of marine ated both degree of low of the iociety of ranee, an Honorary Membei of the Geologist's Association of London and of the London Society of Science, Letters and Art, and a Corres- ponding Member of the London Society of Arts and of the London Horticultural Society ; and he was recently selected as one of a limited number of original members of the Geological Society of America. He was awarded the Mantuan Medal for scientific eminence, and received various medals in connection with the International Exhibitions which he attended. To the genial kindliness of Dr. Honeyman's disposition, to his readiness at all times to give assistance from the stores of his own experience and knowledge, and to the value of his enthusi- astic encouragement in the pro.secution of difficult work, all our younger members will be ready to bear witness ; and I am sure that all of us feel that through his death we have lost not only an able leader in our scientific work, but also a warm personal friend. Dr Honeyman rendered important scientific service, not only to our Institute, but also to the country at large, by the energy with which he discharged the duty to which he was appointed nearly twenty years ago, of building up the Provincial Museum. And since, in consequence of his death, some action must be taken on tho part of the government, with regard to the collections which he had been successful in making, it seems to me to be appropriate that I should bring before you, on the present occa- sion, some considerations as to what that action should be. At the outset it mav be well that I should state such facts as I have been able to collect, with regard to the Museums of other countries, though I regret very much that, partly owing to the defects of the libraries to which I have access, and partly to the fact that but few collections of museum statistics seem to have been made, the information available is very meagre. The British Association Reports on Provincial Museums show that there are in th ■( United Kingdom 211 Museums, exclusive of those of the metro- polis. They are of very diflferent grades of efficiency, 56 being of a high order, 55 being placed in the second class, 63 in a third, and 30 in a fourth. Nearly half of them are of a general character, having no special reference to the district in which they are located ; T i and nearly half contain V)oth local and general collections. With regard to their contents, nearly half are devo^^ed for the most part to Geology, about one fourth are devoteu largely to Zoology, and about one tenth are chiedy archjeological. So far as support is concerned, 50 of them draw their funds from a special muni- cipal rate ; G3 are supported by local societies and institutions ; SO, by colleges ; 5, by general Borough funds ; 8, by government, and the balance by endowments, annual subscriptions, &c. The United Kingdom thus possesses quite a large number of Pro- vincial Museums ; but the committee from whose report I have quoted, state that they have not found one which attained to their ideal of what such Museums ought to be; and with the object of stimulating them to greater efficiency, they sketch the ideal at which such Museums should aim. That the value of the influence of such Museums is recognised, is shown in the report of the Hoyal Commission on Scientific Instruction which recommended, in 1874, that efforts should be madt to supply the deficiencies of existing Museums, and that typical Museums should be organised in conner^ion with Science Schools throughout the kingdom. With regard to the Museums of the United States, I have no definite data later than 1876. The reports of the Commissioner of Education shew that between 1872 and 1876, the number of Museums reporting to the Education Office had increased from 50 to 79, that the number connected with institutions of learn- ing had increased from 35 to 44, and that the annual expenditure on Museums had increased from $46,550 to $145,520. Though definite statistics are not available for a later date than 1876, it is well known that of late years our neighbours have been making great progress in Museum organization. In a report made by Mr. Ball "^f the Museum of Science and Art of Dublin, he states that he was much impressed with their system, thoroughness and astonishing vigor, and with the gigantic extensions of their spheres of usefulness to which they looked forward in the future. In the Australian Colonies, Museums are regarded as important factors in promoting industrial progress ; New South Wales, for example, having sent a Commission to Europe some years ago to >8. With the most Zoology, IS support lial muni- [titutions ; 'ernnient, l&c. The r of Pro- |rt I have tairiful to with the ketch the value of n in the on which ipply the Museums roughout have no nissioner imber of led from of learn- enditure Though 1876, it makiner B by Mr. tes that ess and )f their future, portant lies, for ago to report on European Museums, and havinj; subsequently, in pur- suance of the report of that Commission, established in addition to the General Museum which it already possessed, one of a tech- nolofjical character, intended to develop into a technological school. I have been able to obtain no definite statistics as to the Mu- seums of the continent of Europe ; but every traveller is aware that it is hard to find a town of any importance which does not boast of collections of more or less value, while the large towns and the universities possess collections often of enormous extent and involving great expendituie. In some countries, more especially in France, district Mus',ums, containing collections illustrating the natural histoiy and the industrial state of com- paratively small districts, exist in considerable numbers, and are found to be of great utility from an industrial point of view. These Museums, which are thus found in such large numbers in civilised countries, are of course of very different degrees of efficiency and of quite different types. Some do not rise above the popular conception of a museum as being a collection of curio.nties, affording amusemejit rather than instruct' n ; and it is museums of this kind which bring discredit on the whole class. They are useless an"' "^ 'ft'oieney. Now h '" ""''^ ""> done to give th "m ' ■"**• 't is well to I """'='■• ">at a IWbfo„„h?bel"""'"'''^^'«-en»rl7ch:h """ ""'^' >>« First, then if , /f ■>'™ '^"'n to shower J ' """^iderations ""eun.u atin"' d ''' '"'""' "-at the co^j ' °''^'" '» P°«««« """Plate ofs "'>" ."•' '"' '-„*;;'::":: "'";?'' ^-^ bee„ ""d that thevL . '' '' '' desirable are If "*''' ""■'"'er so °f them i„ :r: -^ °'!'' '•« « ^oo™ whin ' ^^^ ^--t valu. :; '"- « attended Z';" -" -"ieh is. '.^^f -' -'-, of D.any parts ,f th. JT ^"■"'"e^t difficulty i ' " '''"dy '"e of large sul,!?" '^ "^"-"'="'' '-"posdb n! .^" "•" "=-« :"-'> has prac "rl.r"^': °" the accu.uL.v!" "« "P-di '^'"■eh has p;;r?' r"'y on the ae Zu k °'^"'» ^^Pendi- '''nts is attended »7,1^./ ' '" '"<=h a wav th.f ''°died,a:id Poh-cy of f„?,''' "'"' "■.^S^eatestdifficuCw^u"'^"'''^"'"'- "■"»' have a new l„ ?? [' ^""^ -''thout savinlTu'^ '''"> to be a »" " '•' to betrtitd ".''■'*"<'"■ 'f the xp2t "' ,"•" ""^eum followed forVv.'^' *"d still more if ,? '"''^ ^'^eady mad» oted, however, by those ■ 1^ coiiections purposes hy C'urator of *'^^ science, S speci- o^es, and lUinsr m. it will We ought ^ of what ^ Curator 'vhich he nted him of funds "*cai coj. uipossi- 13 who are jealous of deniinds upon the public purse, that the building which is necessary is not by any means so large as might Appear at first thought, oven if it be granted that we ought to Aim at securing all the collections which I have specified as desirable. For of these collections, we have, and for some time to come are likely to have, but a small portion ; and of those which we now have, f.nd even of those at which I think we should aim, but a small portion would need to be displayed in cases 80 as to be available for use by the many. Very consider- able portions, which would be used only by the investigator, whether scientific or industrial, might be stored in drawers, thus being readily availe.ble and yet occupying but little room. Judicious selection may compress a large collection into compara- tively small space. Thus a relatively small building or section of a building, capable however of extension in the future, is all that is required. But collections ind a building to contain them, form only the body of the museam. Its soul is the director or curator ; and as the body without the soul is dead, so collections, however large and well housed, are comparatively useless without an efficient curator. This is at once apparent if we consider what his duties are. For he hfts (1) to preserve his collections, allowing neither moth nor rust to corrupt. He has (2) to arrange them, taking into consideration the class and capacity of the persons for whose use the museum is intended, the extent and variety of the xjollections, the relative importance of the different departments of science to the needs of the community, and the space which is placed at his disposal. He has (3) to label his specimens so as to direct the attention of the observer to the main characteristics of the objects, and to show their relation to tho great classes in which similar objects are found naturally to arrange themselves. He has (4) to add to his collections ; and in our case since a corps of paid collectors is out of the question, that means that he must himself make a scientific study of the province, going from tin^e to time to different districts and making collections of its plants, animals and minerals. And (5) if the museum is to be provided with an industrial department he must familiarize u himself with the industrial state of the Province, and know ho\r to make a judicious selection of its raw materials and of its fin- ished products. The successful performance of these varied dufies, which is essential to the utility of the museum, demands not only manual dexterity and general good judgment, but also a wide knowledge of the natural sciences and a working acquaint- ance with their economic aspects. In our special circumstances it is desirable also that the curator should possess not only the general knowledge of the natural sciences necessary for museum work proper, but also a special knowledge of Geology and Mineralogy. For our mineral resources are extensive and varied,, and give promise of yielding a rich reward to careful research. And consequently it has been the wise policy of our government in the past to combine with the office of Curator of the Museum that of Provincial Geologist. But while the primary duties of the curator are to make and preserve collections and to render them available and useful to the public, as well as to push forward especially the knowledge of our local geology, he may be expected also to make his museum an active centre for the diffusion of useful knowledge, by pro- viding courses of lectures in connection with it. The Royal Commission on Scientific Instruction, the British Association committee on provincial museums, and the New South Wales commission on museums and technical schools all recommend this policy. And even apart from their authoritative utterances, it is sufficiently obvious, that when at considerable expense, collections have been made which form one of the main requisites of systematic instruction, such instruction should also be provided. In our community a certain demand for such teaching already exists. For some years the appreciation of the value of scientific knowledge as a basis for technical pursuits has been steadily growing, and the advocates of the founding of a technical school have gradually been gaining more and more sympathy and support. But the founding of such a school, fully developed at the outset, would involve a large expenditure, whereas the number of students who would make use of it would in the first few years be probably small and fitful. Were such a school 16 founded all at once, the public, which is impatient of expenditure without immediate results, would not unlikely conclude in a very few years that the expenditure was too great for the results; and the legislature might find it necessary to withdraw tho grant by which the school was sustained. In such matters it is good policy to hasten slowly, and in the case of the technical school the best mode of slow hastening would seem to be to develop our museum with an efficient director at its head, and to let him, by organising courses of lectures and practical classes in connection with it, make it the nucleus about which a technical school would gradually grow, as the demand for scientific instruction would gradually increase. As the importance of our mineral resources would seem to imply that the director should have a special knowledge of Geology and Mineralogy, these would naturally be the subjtats in which he might be expected to give instruction himself. In other departments lectures might be given at the outset by volunteers, the lecture room and appliances being furnished in the museum itself. As little additional expenditure would be involved in the provision of these lecture courses, the occasional lapsing of classes through lack of students would, so far as the permanence of the school is concerned, be of no moment. Gradually the occasional classes would become regular, and the small classes would become large ; and ultimately it might be hoped the demand for instruction would become so great that the volunteer lecturers might be replaced by a per- manent staff. This seems to be in our present circumstances the only feasible way of obtaining the technical school of which we stand so much in need. The Curator might make the Museum an active educational centre in another way, viz., by distributing among the academies and high schools of the Province small collections illustrating the various departments of natural history. Such a course would facilitate to a very great extent the introduction of science teaching into our schools. If it be admitted that the development of our museum, in- volving as it does the appointment of an efficient curator and rendering possible the provision of scientific instruction, is a u desirable policy, it must also be admitted that it cannot be car- ried out without expenditure. The nev/ building, which is neces- sary, would require a considerable sum of money. The services of a curator of sufficient ability and erudition could not be secured without the offer of liberal emoluments ; and a museum, cannot be maintained, still less made to grow, without at any rate a small annual allowance for running expenses. The ques- tion therefore arises : Can we with our restricted provincial income afford to adopt this policy ? It would be easy, I know, for an enthusiastic educationist, who is not responsible to the people for the expenditure of the public funds, to answer this question in the affirmative. But the question is one with which not educationists but legislators have to deal. I may be allowed, however, to point out that not merely this question, but a second must be dealt with : Can we afford, in the present undeveloped condition of our natural resources, and in the face of the com- petition of other countries, which, with no smaller natural resources, are making greater efforts to develop them, to adopt any other policy than that which is outlined above ? To me certainly it seems to be clearly the teaching of experience, that if we wish to direct the flow of capital without undue delay to the development of our resources, we must supply accurate infor- mation as to what these resources are and as to their present state of development, such as a well conducted museum only can adequately supply, and we must furnish our youth, by means of a technical school, with the means of obtaining a knowledge of the sciences and arts of which our various industries are applica- tions. But a few years ago there seemed to be little hope that such a policy of progress would be carried out. Lately, however, our Legislature has shown a new appreciation of the value of the application of scientific knowledge to industrial pursuits, and the founding of the Agricultural School with its Model Farm, and of Mining Schools of an elementary grade, are steps in the right direction, for which the Government deserves, and will doubtless receive, the gratitude of an intelligent public. But gratitude is a sense of favours yet to come ; and these first steps ni'KNINU ADDRESS. — MACGUKUOll. 335 ^'ivc lis conti(l(!nce in the hope that unotlier step may also U? taken, by which our Provincial Museum will he developed and made the nucleus of a technical school. So far I have dealt with accion which can be taken only by the Government. Finally, I would like to refer to the various ways in which this Institute may give material assistance both in the development of the museum and in the establishment of the scientific school. And first, the main woik of the Institute, the furthering of scientific research, especially in the depaitment of local natural science, is d' ectly in the line of what the mu- seum is intended to encourage; and every new fact brought to light and every truth established will add so much to the sum of know- ledge which the museum is intended to illustrate. Secondly, no museum can be successfully managed without a library of scientific books containing the most recent lesulta of scientific investigation ; and such a library, if it has to be pur- chased, involves very considerable expenditure. Now our Insti- tute, because of the fact of our publishing Transactions which are considered to be of some value, can obtain at no greater expense than is required to forward copies of our Transactions to scientific societies abroad, a very large portion of the necessary library, the portion which consists of the publications of home and foieign scientific societies. At present we exchange publications, with about one hundred learned societies, and wo are taking steps to increase the number to three or four hundred. For the small volume which we annually send out, we, in many cases, receive a large volume, or even several volumes in return, so that our library, already valuable, is rapidly increasing in value as in bulk ; and this library the Institute will gladly place at the dis- posal of the curator of the museum. Thirdly, if we can increase our membership as we hope soon to do, by recruits from the large body of teachers scattered through the Province, who are every year, chrough the influence and exertions of leading men among themselves, making progress in the knowledge of natural science, we may hope to give material aid to the curator in the completion of his local collections. To render these anything like couiplete \7ith no undue delay, he 836 OPENING ADDUESS. — MACaUEaOR. would need to have a corps of local collectors. A corps of paid collectors is perhaps out of the question, but a corps of volunteer collectors may perhaps be organised among the members of the Institute, which could give him very material assistance, pro- viding him not only with specimens to fill up lacuna; in his local collections, but with duplicates which he could utilise in obtaining from abroad, by exchange, specimens which are required for his typical collections and which cannot be obtained at home. And finally, the Institute may be of assistance to the museum in discharging its functions as the nucleus of a technical school, by providing volunteer lecturers in departments of science in which the curator mav need assistance. In efforts which have been made in this direction in the past, our members have been ready to assist, and in an effort such as I have sketched, which would have less of discouragement and more of hope, they may be relied upon to put their shoulders to the wheel. I think I owe you no apology, though I have occupied so much of your time this evening with a discussion which adds nothing to the sum total of human knowledge, but is of an essentially practical nature. For the maintenance and a