THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF P.E.I. 
     
     PART II l889-I8 W H g I.  ‘ 1 
     
    
   
   
    
     by Winifred Cairns, Milltown Cross, P.E.I. 
     
    
   
   
    
     1889 . ' 
     
    

    
     On March 26, 1889, six ardent naturalists gathered in Charlottetown to form 
     
     the Natural History Society of Prince Edward Island. Its first officers were 
     
     Hon. D. Laird - President, Malcolm MacLeod - Vice President and D. Montgomery -' 
     
     Secretary-Treasurer. Although small, the fledgling society seems to have taken 
     
     immediate steps to establish its credentials nationally. At the April 27th 
     
     executive meeting the president read a letter from Sir William Dawson, offering 
     
     to place the P.E.I. society on the exchange list of the Natural History Society 
     
     of Montreal and to send certain papers published by the Peter Redpath Museum. 
     
     The letter also intimated that the Island group was now entitled to send a 
     
     representative to the Royal Society of Canada. 
     
    

    
     At the executive committee meeting held in the Education Office on May 11, 
     
     1889, the secretary reported that he had interviewed Premier Sullivan to request 
     
     that one of the rooms of the Provincial Building be placed at the disposal of 
     
     the society. The premier promised to reply in a few days. 
     
    

    
     That spring a series of public lectures on natural history topics was 
     
     initiated. These were given at intervals of every second week (sometimes less 
     
     often), and during the first year were held in J.D. MacLeod's Hall or the Phil- 
     
     harmonic Hall. By 1891 the location had switched to the YMCA Parlours. According 
     
     to newspaper accounts of the day, lecturers were very well received, often speaking 
     
     to standing-room only audiences. For a list of early speakers and their topics 
     
     see Table 1. 
     
    
   
   
    
     1890 
     
    

    
     At the first annual meeting, held in the YMCA on Feb. 14, 1890, it was 
     
     reported that membership had grown to fifty-two and the balance on hand was $38.54. 
     
     A discussion was held on the advisability of the society embracing the civil as 
     
     well as the natural history of the province, and the matter was referred to the 
     
     executive committee. Mr. Bain presented the society with a copy of his new book 
     
     on the Natural History of Prince Edward Isalnd. 
     
    

    
     At the March 10, 1890 executive meeting, three members were appointed to 
     
     visit the Leader of the Government to obtain a room for a museum. It was also 
     
     decided to procure a copy of Gray's Manual of Botany, 1890 edition. The total 
     
     cost was $1.96. 
     
    

    
     At the sixth Public Meeting, held on April 14, 1890: 
     
    

    
     "The committee appointed at a previous meeting to endeavor to secure the use 
     
     of a room for the purpose of a library and museum for the Society in the 
     
     Provincial Building, reported that the Leader of the Government regretted 
     
     that there was no vacant room in the building at his disposal; whereupon a 
     
     committee was appointed to make further application to the City Council for 
     
     use of one of the rooms in the Market Building, and elsewhere if necessary.” 
     
    

    
     Membership became a concern in the early summer of 1890. The annual fee 
     
     was set at $1.00 or $5.00 for Life Membership. A letter was sent to the editor 
     
     of the Patriot from the secretary Lawrence Watson telling the public they were 
     
     invited to join, as the society was not just for the very learned. In August, 
     
     the first annual outing was held, a sailboat excursion to St. Peter's Island. 
     
    

    
     The Nov. 19, 1890 executive meeting was held in the Board of Trade Rooms, 
     
     Cameron Block. Acquisitions of various papers and gifts were noted (see Table 2).‘ 
     
    
   
   
    
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